The Bargain
by Siashuria
Summary: If you were to catch the Phantom Thief, you would be able to ask him any question your heart desired. Quite the bargain, eh? Skye/BrunetteGirl among other pairings. Old writing, haha.
1. The Memories

**Hello, I just wanted to give a little introduction here to my introduction. Yay, right?**

**Well, this is a brief chapter that just kind of introduces the Valley. Reviews/Critiques are greatly appreciated, as this is my first fanfic ever, and I'm sure I could use all the help I could get. XP**

**As much as I realize that Skye/(insert your character's name here) has been done before, he is just a fun guy, and if I'm allowed, I would like to give my version of the story. :3 I hope you enjoy my little tale.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything in it however awesome it may be.**

**--**

Forget-Me-Not Valley; I had always believed that even the name seemed magical.

And what a magical place it was.

This morning as well, (after hurling my alarm clock at the nearest possible wall and stumbling to greet the world at the atrocious time of 6am,) I found myself remembering those words. After throwing open the rather sorry front door to my equally sorry cabin, it was the Valley that would always greet me and welcome me into the next day of my life. The brisk spring air would create a miraculous harmony with one of the Valley's signature sunrises, and it was only then I would realize just how fortunate I was to be living there.

Those moments would quickly fade, however, when it would click that I had milk to deliver.

As the only rancher in all of Forget-Me-Not Valley, Thomas, the Mayor of Mineral Town/Shipper of the Valley, concluded that the responsibility of Milkman fell on me. ("It'll be great exercise! Your thighs will shrink!" he said. And of course, at the time, that much seemed rather appealing.) So every morning, my first job would be to take my bottles of milk and wonder from house to house to ensure that no person, elderly and young alike, would go without fresh milk for the day.

Tugging my little wooden wagon behind me bright and early would always make me feel like a 5-year-old setting up their first lemonade stand. Though the job became routine quickly enough, that feeling had never completely vanished. Perhaps that was why I never gave up the job completely.

My route would seem odd to anyone who had never visited the Valley. I would always begin by entering the town square and delivering milk to the one-eyed doctor, the over-worked nervous wreck, and the athlete. Then I would stop by the bar, and visit the Inn, which received more milk than any other place, for obvious reasons. I would then head south, to make my way by the twin fireworks mechanics, the scientist with a mermaid in his basement, the artist, and the musician who lived in his yurt. By crossing the bridge I would go to the infamous vegetable farmers, whom were likely my closest friends in the valley. Traveling north from there would bring me to the archaeologist, and south to a lovely retired couple whom lived comfortably on top of a hill. On my way back, I would leave a bottle for the friendly harvest sprites, and would stop by my mentor's house before entering my own, ready to fall back asleep once again.

If you ask me, it was everyday life.

As I learned throughout my life in that Valley, there would never be a place like it. There was magic and love, suspense and glory, success and failure, and of course, fiction and fact. Unfortunately, as I also learned, the hardest part of living in a Valley of magic was learning which parts of my life were, in fact, real, and which were simply illusions and tricks.

So when I met a man who lived through trickery and fiction, life became incredibly difficult.


	2. The Encounter

**I found the introduction to be short and unsatisfying, so I decided to just go ahead and put my first real chapter out there.**

**There is some Marlin/Celia in this chapter, and probably more to come.**

**I hope you enjoy. Again, criticism and reviews are greatly welcome. It is my first fanfic, so any pointers would be great.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

Have you ever fallen asleep milking a cow? Personally, I never thought it was possible either, until I almost accomplished the deed earlier today.

I had almost completely nodded off until my foot received a well-deserved slam from my feisty marble cow, Penny.

"HOLY…!!" I screamed a profanity or two before falling on my side and rolling on the dusty floor of my barn in a fit of pain. As I massaged my throbbing foot, it was not hard to figure that if someone were milking me the wrong way, I would kick them too. I shoved myself up off the ground and gave a gentle pat to my cow in apology, only to fall over again in pain shortly afterwards.

After calming down, I found myself lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling of the animal house. The high-noon sun managed to poke through a few cracks in the aged roof, illuminating the cobwebs and pieces of hay lining the wood floor. The building had seen many better days, surely back when my deceased father owned the ranch, but those days had long passed, and the responsibility had fallen onto my shoulders now. A few of these responsibilities included, but were not limited to, repairing the roof and my sorry door, though as long as the door could not get any worse, I found no desperate hurry to fix it. Letting out a long sigh at my mental list of tasks, I managed to push myself off of the barn floor, and hastily wiped the dust and dirt off of my worn working clothes.

I haphazardly attempted to fix my hair as I exited through the large barn doors. My straight brown hair fell into awkward jagged bunches as I removed the rubber band which held it in place. Groaning tiredly, I attempted to run my fingers through it to make it look presentable, but I found no such luck. I prepared to change out of my dirtied clothes when a familiar voice addressed me.

"Holly! Oh, there you are,"

The girl that approached me wore a long, faded green working gown and apron. Her thick, earth-brown hair fell naturally along her shoulders while a bandanna kept the majority of it out of her face. Her sun-kissed face bore a small smile of sheer happiness to be alive. The girl was simple, but because of it, she was very beautiful, and she was one of my best friends.

"Celia, good morning," I greeted with a yawn. The constant fatigue never seemed to leave my bones.

After a flash of worry crossed her face, Celia replied, "Honestly, Holly, you're so tired. I'm afraid you'll work yourself to death…"

"Now, don't worry about me," I told her with a sincere smile, "You have more than enough problems to shoulder of your own."

"Well," Celia began, "how about you join us on the farm for dinner?"

"Celia, I…"

"No! I insist!" she interrupted my attempt to decline, "You know you're like family to us, Holly. Please?"

I let out a sigh at the sight of her pleading eyes; I was sure that many a man and city had fallen to them before. Suddenly I was left with no choice but to accept her invitation.

"Fine, fine, fine," I gave in, "I'll be there."

After a small squeal of delight, Celia practically skipped off the farm and continued to meander through the Valley.

--

In my humble opinion, I ate far too many meals at Celia's house and intruded on their hospitality more often than anyone ever should, but frankly, that was not the leading reason for me wanting to decline my friend's invitation to dinner. As I sat at the dinner table observing Celia and Marlin making major gooey-eyes at each other however, the reason arose all too clearly. Vesta simply sat across from me, pleasantly oblivious to her surroundings, and ravenously ate her yams.

Now, I loved Celia, and Marlin was my best drinking buddy, no question, but when I found myself with both of them together, I felt about as noticeable as a grape juice stain on a purple carpet. They were such a cute couple that it was adorable to watch, and yet painful to experience the exclusion at the same time.

Feeling a bit too awkward, I stood up from the dark mahogany dining table. I let out a small cough and scraped the few remains of my dinner into the trash. Then after plodding slowly and extremely noticeably through the main room of the residence, I announced, in an attempt to gain attention, "Well, thank you for dinner. I suppose I'll see you all soon."

As I expected, I received no reply or acknowlegement. I turned in the doorway to find Marlin blushing deeply after accidentally bumping into Celia, and Vesta continued to be simply engrossed with her yams.

--

Closing the door behind me, I began my trek home. Thinking of how deep the connection Marlin and Celia shared was, I smiled to myself; I had always figured that love had never really been an option for me.

The night sky was clear, and the stars shed the perfect amount of light to ignite the pathway home. Coming to the wooden bridge, I stopped halfway across and gazed into the river. The moonlight behind me illuminated my reflection. I looked tired, so incredibly tired. It did not take my best friend to realize that something in my life was not quite working properly. Whatever it was, it was likely my fault. Though maybe, for once, it actually was not. Maybe something was simply missing.

"THIEF! STOP!"

The cry shattered the peaceful night.

I barely had time to react. As I lifted my head, I saw a man jump onto the same bridge railing I was leaning on, directly in front of me. Silently, with incredible agility, his black shoes made contact with the railing in landing. He crouched down, his sharp blue eyes were piercing, focused, but at the same time, his smile was broad in rejoicing. Whatever the man had been doing, he had been successful in doing it. His pants were a dull purple, and had no correlation with his cow-print shirt, but somehow, clad upon his pale skin, he managed to pull it off. I could not decide which was more eye-catching, his long, feminine, silver hair, or his necklace, decorated with intriguing runes which gave off an almost mystic aura and light.

As quickly as the man had arrived into my life, (more like my line of vision,) he looked me in the eye, and raised a thin eyebrow in curiosity. Adjusting a black rucksack on his back, he leaned in towards my ear, and whispered one thing before leaping off of the bridge railing and seeming to vanish into thin air.

He left me frozen in silence on the bridge; my shaking arms were clasping the railing in disbelief and shock. I might have ended up staying there all night if a voice had not grabbed me by the collar and pulled me back into reality.

"THIEF!! NO!" A girl ran past me on the bridge in desperate chase. However, after losing all sight of her target, she turned and began a defeated march back through the dark.

I turned to find Lumina crossing the bridge across from me; she wore a white night gown along with neatly combed light brown hair. It took seeing her in pajamas to make me think about how late it must have been.

"Lumina," I approached, shaking still, "what's going on?"

"I was robbed!" she spat, "That man, no, thief, no… inhuman monster broke into the Villa and stole my mother's necklace!"

As the curiousity in me began boiling over, I found myself having to ask, "Who was it?"

"Phantom… Thief… Skye," she managed to choke out.

Lumina fell to her knees on the bridge in a fit of tears and sobs. As I knelt by her side, she thrust her head into my lap and let out the pain of her undeserving loss. I pressed my back against the moss-covered bridge railing with a sigh, attempting to still my quaking body. I could not get the man out of my mind. His eyes, his voice, the necklace, and of course his cocky smile.

Who was he?

When Lumina finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, dawn was breaking over the horizon, and I could feel myself nodding off along with her. Grunting, I hauled the girl back to the Villa where she lived only to find a very worried butler awaiting her arrival.

It was not until the sun had already risen that I was able to fall into the comfort of my bed. As I curled up waiting for sleep to come, I could only find my mind repeating the words that the man whispered to me on the bridge that night. As much as my body longed for sleep, I knew it would not be coming easily.

"I look forward to the day we meet again."


	3. The River

**Hello, world. 8D This is the actual chapter I wanted to put up today. I apparently messed up and put the second one up again. I am just so great at this. **

**In other news, this is the direct continuation of the last chapter, picking up right where I left off. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed the story so far! It's always great to hear feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how amazing it may be.**

**--**

That night became a sleepless one.

The moment my head had hit the pillow, a rather distraught Takakura rapped on my door, demanding to know where his milk was. Though so much of me simply wanted to hurtle my axe at the sorry door, (which would likely shatter upon impact,) I managed to fall out of bed and pull on the work clothes I had shed a matter of minutes ago. Every step I took felt like a massive effort. Frankly, I was ready to let my animals suffer for some peaceful sleep.

I piled the day's load of milk into my wagon, realizing that if I failed to complete this chore, Takakura would not be the only disappointed one to come a-tapping at my door. The deliveries proceeded smoothly, until I arrived at the neighboring vegetable farm where I had eaten just the night before. Someone was waiting for me at the front door.

"Holly, you're late today…" the woman waiting at the door was quite large, though certainly not in the sense of being fat or overweight. Practically every limb of her body was built with lean, experienced muscle. Her hair was a brilliant sun-bleached brown, and was fixed messily behind her pierced ears. Her dirt-coated apron covered most of her other clothing, though then again, that was probably the point of an apron.

"My apologies, Vesta," I handed fresh milk to the well-respected woman, "It won't happen again."

"It better not," She said seriously, "Holly, this is part of your job, and just like every other part of it you need to keep on top of things."

"I'm just…" I began, my practically dead mind trying to concoct an excuse of some kind, but Vesta interrupted me quickly.

"I take this farm very seriously," She concluded, "and I expect you to take your job just as seriously as I do." However, Vesta must have caught the look on my face, which consisted of far too little sleep and far too much going on in my head. She let out a relaxed sigh before changing her tone from serious to loving and continued by saying, "You're just like family here, you know that, right?"

As I nodded weakly, she added, "This is just how I would treat Celia or my little brother if I were to catch them slacking off a bit, you know? It doesn't take a genius to see that there's something going on with you right now, but the Valley is always going to be counting on you to do your job and to do it well."

Leaning against the wooden farm storehouse for more support, I knew Vesta was right. She was simply being the older sister for me right now. With one look into her narrow green eyes, however, I knew that Vesta was not completely done talking. She turned and easily picked up the basket of milk as though there were nothing in it at all. Then after opening the door to re-enter her house, she turned to me, and finished her lecture by saying, "Holly, just promise me that you'll never forget what's most important to you."

I watched as the sturdy door closed behind her, still holding onto my little wagon of milk, and pondered silently over what she had told me. Turning my head slightly brought me to be unpleasantly blinded by the sun's blaring rays. They were certainly beautiful, but also unwelcome by my rather cloudy demeanor at the time. With a small groan, I continued my route down the pathway. After all, there were more people who were expecting milk hours ago to confront.

--

I awoke later that afternoon to find myself locking eyes with a very confused sheep.

Glancing around, I found myself in the animal barn once again. Though this time, I was lying on one of my ewes, Fluffy, and holding sheers. Apparently it was a talent of mine to fall asleep while performing typical farm tasks. I rubbed my eyes and wondered just how long the poor creature had been standing still, awaiting the fresh sensation of a new hair cut. After this brief moment of imagination, I figured that I needed to finish the job.

I locked up the barn after the chore was finished. Even though the sun was barely set, I knew that sleep was a necessity that I currently lacked. I stumbled to my house to prepare for a restful night. The bed was comfortable and warm, the sheets were tucked in around me, and my eyes were happily closed.

And yet, sleep never came.

My hair whipped in many various directions as I sat up in frustration. I threw off the covers and my pajamas to slip on a cozy flannel shirt and some pants, deciding that now was simply not the time for me to sleep. Pulling my hair into a bun, I calmed myself down and tried to think.

I needed to relax, to calm down.

I needed to go on a walk.

No…

I needed to go fishing.

Yes, fishing would be perfect for relaxation.

--

I made my way up to the waterfall by the Goddess Pond before deciding to cast my line into the river. To be completely honest, I believed fishing to be the most boring thing since watching paint dry. Actually, I believed watching paint dry might have been a more interesting option. Why? I was not completely sure. I supposed it was simply a matter of liking or disliking the sport. However, this made it the perfect thing for, at last, putting me to sleep.

Gripping my rod with both hands, I sat on the river bank, staring up at the stars once again. They were casting their light, as I was casting my line into the river. Perhaps they sought to catch something as well?

"What would they be fishing for?" I thought aloud.

"Typically, I've always believed fishing to be for catching fish."

My eyes grew wide as I jumped to attention. I had not expected anyone to be around so late. Turning, I found the owner of the voice which had commented on my train of thought. The sarcastic phrase came from the man whom had landed in front of me yesterday. It was the man who managed to charm his way into my head and out of everyone's grasp, the man who was like a snake, smooth and agile, yet dangerous, the man who could pull off a clothing combination so obnoxious as cow print and purple pants, and the man whom had stolen something so dear to Lumina that she had cried all night into my lap.

It was the Phantom Thief, Skye.

"…Or at least, that's just what I've heard," he continued his comment. His voice was smooth; it flowed over me like a sheet of silk. Though at the same time, it was snake-like as it slithered across my skin, sending chills down my spine.

"So," I began, managing to speak, "we meet again."

Skye stood beside me, closing his eyes as though deep in thought, then continued, "Did you take me seriously that night?" he turned to view my blank expression as I felt my hands grip my unresponsive rod more tightly. Chuckling, he sighed and continued, "You really are just like every other girl, then. Just a pretty face," he shot a cursory glance at me before finishing, "Hehe, if even that much."

"If you're so uninterested, why are you even here?" I asked, fiddling with my rod. I could not help but wonder bleakly if there were any fish in the river at all.

In response my question, Skye laughed and turned to meet my eyes, "Let's not go asking questions we wouldn't want answers to, hmm?" After speaking, he turned on his foot to face in the opposite direction. His silver hair danced in the moonlight with the spin before settling perfectly on his shoulders and back. Without facing me, he finished by saying, "Sometimes when you get into something, there is simply no turning back."

I turned to look at the river. It thrashed about wildly at the foot of the waterfall, not allowing anything to reflect off of its white-capped surface. At the same time, it would not allow me to see if any fish really lived below the choppy surface. When my eyes drifted back to the place where Skye had been standing, however, it was all too clear that he had left.

--

At midnight I collapsed in my bed, realizing how much had happened in the past two days.

I curled up into a small ball, reflecting on everything I had experienced. There had been tragedy, romance, drama, magic.

'But no,' I thought to myself, coming to a sleepy conclusion, 'It's all just real life."

As I closed my eyes, my adventures in those days had come to an end, as the sensation of long-awaited sleep finally overcame me.


	4. The Bargain

**Hey world, this chapter is quite a bit longer than my previous ones. I thought about dividing it up, but I was just having too much fun. :P Yay for something actually having to do with the summary!**

**Along with my own version of the story of (insert your character's name here)/Skye, I kind of made up my own version of Skye's little Chick Beam. I'll even explain it in a later chapter, if people really want me to write that much. XP**

**A massive thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story thus far. I love hearing feedback.**

**As a warning, there is a good amount of alcohol in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

Summer had arrived in Forget-Me-Not Valley, and with it came the blazing heat. It was never a time I particularly enjoyed.

So in the evenings, which were only a tad less scorching, I would find myself sipping a refreshing drink at the Blue Bar.

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

Okay, sipping might have been a bit of an understatement.

It was a normal, peaceful, and of course, uncomfortably warm summer night in the Valley. Inside of the bar that night, however, it was uncontrollable, wild, and even warmer than it was outside. A crowd of regulars at the bar were going insane as I stood back to back with my obviously drunk drinking buddy, Marlin, on one of the several tables inside. Steins in each of our hands, we did, in fact, chug their contents, much to the crowd's delight.

Our fun soon ended as the back of Marlin's head collided with the back of my own. We both began laughing uncontrollably and falling off of the table in opposite directions. Luckily, I fell snugly into someone's arms. I could not say the same for Marlin, however, as I heard a rather loud "thud" come from the other side of the table. I looked up towards my savior; a tall man with a very western-style hair job stared down at me in return. He was wearing his usual tan and gold long sleeved shirt, and through his mustache, he calmly informed me of what I had surely already been aware of.

"Holly, I think you've had a bit too much tonight."

"Thank you, Sir Griffin," I replied, plus a noticeable slur, "I'll just be going to bed now, good night."

I stumbled towards the door, barely able to walk straight due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed. I could not even recall how much I had drunk, if that was a sign of trouble at all. My work boots collided with the wooden floorboards harshly and loudly, as though an overenthusiastic bass drummer was attempting to leave the premises. I managed to exit the building eventually however, though not without hearing the fireworks makers protesting, "HAHAHA! No, drink more, girly!"

--

The next morning was… unpleasant, to say the least.

By 8:30 I believe I had used up all of the aspirin which both mine and Takakura's houses contained. And even then, I found myself lying on my stomach in bed, my face buried into my pillow, and trying as hard as I possibly could to not move my throbbing head.

As fun as the night before had been, it was certainly not one of the prouder moments in my life. Then again, neither had the last time I had been to the bar, nor the time before that. I could not help but wonder just where my life was going like this. Even still, it was a nice little escape for Marlin and I…

With that thought I shot up in bed. My head felt the repercussions of the sudden action, but I found myself not caring quite as much at the moment.

_I had left Marlin at the bar last night._

As I was already dressed, I first tried to run back to the bar, but as I quickly discovered by my protesting stomach and head, that did not work so well. Instead, I figured a very slow walk would suffice; I would get to the bar eventually anyways.

Entering the bar, I stumbled upon an unconscious man in a simple white shirt who had appeared to have partied a bit too hard the night before. His black curls were even more uncontrollable than normal, and a distinct 5 o'clock shadow adorned his chin, along with a small trickle of drool. Sighing at the sight of Marlin, I realized that though I had not looked in a mirror that day, I probably did not look much more put together than he did at that moment.

I was about to attempt to haul my drinking buddy back to his place, when the door to the back room of the pub swung open. Muffy dashed into the bar area, clearly disgruntled. Her rich, blond curls bounced in a wild fashion as she leaned on the bar table, cradling her head in one hand as she held a piece of parchment in the other. Judging from her eyes, she was reading it over and over again.

"Muffy," I asked, "you okay?"

The woman had apparently noticed neither mine nor the unconscious Marlin's presence, as she looked up with great alarm at the sound of my voice. Her blue eyes were wide with worry, even though she appeared calmer when she figured out who was addressing her. Straightening her bright red summer dress, she answered, "Oh, Holly… I've been better, I'll tell you that much."

"What have you got there?" I questioned. I was hoping not to pry, but I was all too curious as to what the paper in her hand read.

"It's a notice," she replied. "There's nothing you could do anyways."

I chuckled, "You don't know whether I can help or not until you tell me what's on that paper."

I had taken a seat on one of the many sturdy chairs scattered throughout the bar. Muffy in return paced over to the table I was nearest to, and thrust the parchment down on the table.

"It's the Phantom," she told me, eyes closed in worry.

I felt my pulse quicken at what Muffy had said. My eyes quickly shot to the note sitting peacefully on the oak table in front of me. Though the light was indeed dim, the note was still legible. It was handwritten with fine, cursive penmanship; I would almost call it feminine in that manner.

_To whomever it may concern,_

_I will be waltzing into your beloved Blue Bar tonight at midnight. It has been a while since I've had a good drink, so I hope that you will have quite the selection for me to pick from when I arrive. However, do not expect much to be there when I am through. Hehehe._

_I hope you have a lovely day,_

_Phantom Skye_

I looked up from the arrogant notice to find Muffy frowning in silent sorrow.

"What do you have that he would want to take?" I asked her.

"If he's looking for a good drink, then we're a gold mine for him," she answered, "The Blue Bar is in so much debt already though, if he takes anything at all, Griffin and I might have to resort to something drastic to even keep this joint open."

Though I felt great pity for the girl, my throbbing head did not. At the same time however, my chest was tight in a very unfamiliar, almost exhilarating sensation. My gut, though queasy, told me something clear as day; I had to be at the bar when Skye arrived.

"Muffy," I said, in the most reassuring voice I could muster with a class four hangover, "I want to help you."

"What?" she looked up at me, confusion written on her face.

I knew I could not reveal my rather selfish motives for my offer, so I gave her the goody-goody version of my reasoning, "I can't let this bar close, not just for me, but for you and Griffin as well. So, if you're willing, I'll help you in any way I can."

"Holly…" Muffy smiled for the first time since I had arrived, "thank you."

--

It had been arranged.

At 10:00pm I would arrive at the Blue Bar ready to do anything Muffy and Griffin were to ask of me. In return, I would get to see the Phantom once more.

He had snaked his way into my head. That much was obviously clear.

It was a quarter past three as I began to wrap up my daily chores. After taking an unconscious Marlin back to his farm, I had returned home only to find that there was still no aspirin lying about. Around noon I found myself able to move without a considerable amount of pain, and decided that it was probably time to take care of my animals. Hangover or not, I would be nothing without them after all.

Skye… I remembered the two days back in spring when he had entered my life. I remembered his perfect silver hair, his cold, velvety voice, but also his terrible deeds. He was an intelligent man; as a thief, quick-thinking is likely a necessary trait to have. It led me to wonder though, why was he a thief? Thievery was an action reserved for the cowardly and low. Through this continuous train of thought, it did not take me long to think of the largest question of all I had for the mysterious man.

What was he afraid of?

--

I entered the bar at 10:00pm sharp. For once, I had all the reason not to be late.

Before hand I had even looked in the mirror, and it was only then that I noticed how atrocious I appeared. I grappled for my hairbrush and gathered the courage to tame my wild hair. When I was through playing make-up half an hour later, I would even go as far to say that I looked rather nice. I was finally prepared to show the Phantom more than a pretty face.

The bar was still opened; it normally did not close until after midnight. I noticed one of the twins sitting at the bar, his grey hair askew in a gravity-defying fashion. I could have been mistaken, but I believe the present twin was, in fact, Kassey. He called over to Griffin, and stated his request in a rather straightforward fashion, "Griffin, look, I might have possibly just had the longest day of my life. I need the strongest stuff you've got, no holds back, you hear me?"

Griffin replied with a nod before turning to the shelf of ingredients behind him. Shoving aside various bottles and liquids, he pulled out a tiny vial of clear liquid. Had I been naïve, I could have mistaken it for simply a tube of water, but being in a bar, I knew that that was certainly not the case.

Griffin brewed what appeared to be a usual drink at the bar, before taking an eye dropper and adding only three drops of the strange clear substance into the drink. Passing it to Kassey, he was returned with a look of strong disbelief. A sly grin appeared through Griffin's brown mustache at that moment.

"Kassey, I'll tell you this," Griffin warned, "That vial was filled with a liquid that will knock you out for two weeks if you sip a teaspoon, and will kill you if you take any more. Stuff this dangerous, not only do you need a permit to even hold it, but a vial this large will cost you over five million gold right there. The commoners simply call it Nile Water, and if you add three drops of it to a nice drink, it adds the perfect amount of flavor, and enough kick to bring you to a nice buzz and beyond, if you hear what I'm sayin'."

Now, Kassey was never a fool. So he nodded grudgingly before taking a large gulp of his drink, and smiled with great satisfaction afterwards.

"You're a lifesaver, Griffin," He said with a smile.

Griffin replied with another nod, when he noticed I had entered the bar. "Holly," he greeted, "I don't believe you're here for a drink tonight."

"You think right," I confirmed, taking a seat at the bar. Muffy swiftly entered the bar area from the back room at the sound of my arrival.

"Pardon me, everyone!" She announced cheerily. At the sound of her voice, everyone in the bar turned their attention to meet her eyes. "We're going to have to close a bit early tonight, I hope you all understand."

--

11:55pm.

I was hiding behind the bar with Griffin and Muffy. The lights were off, and everything was quiet. To anyone unaware, the Blue Bar might as well have been deserted. The darkness abstracted everything in the small dining space. Chairs no longer looked like chairs and shelves seemed taller and about to collapse onto you. Perhaps it was only my imagination, or perhaps it was not.

Muffy shifted uncomfortably, as she had been all night. The plan was simple; we would wait for the Phantom to enter the bar and we would jump him. Personally, I found it too simple. However, Muffy thought it was brilliant, and Griffin agreed that sometimes spontaneous actions were the best ones.

Time passed by minute by minute. I was fairly sure that none of us behind the bar actually knew the time; it had become far too easy to lose track of as the minutes turned into hours. Muffy eventually stood up with a sigh.

"I'm going to get some air," she told us, "It appears to be long after midnight, and nothing has happened."

Griffin stood up along with her, "I'll go with you. I can't let anything to happen to you." The two smiled at each other as they stepped out of the bar area. "Holly," Griffin turned to me, "I believe the danger has passed. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to stay here until Muffy and I return. Would that be alright?"

Personally, I felt that the danger had passed as well, and saw no real point for me to remain there any longer. However, I had agreed to help, so begrudgingly, I nodded, and stood up by the bar to stretch my own cramped legs.

I watched as the two took their leave out of the darkened bar, and perched myself comfortably on one of the several stools. The time had ticked by slowly but surely, and it appeared that Skye had in fact not kept his word. It struck me as odd that the Phantom would be the type to not show up, but then again, I hardly knew the man, and I should not be one to judge.

Staring worriedly at the floor, I waited for Griffin and Muffy's pleasant return. It was then that I would be able to return to my humble abode and sleep, though I would wake with regret that I had performed a steak out for no apparent reason. I closed my eyes, for once not out of fatigue, and I simply thought about how stupid I was for even coming here. He was just a man, a thief at that. More than that, he was a waste of my time.

At least, that was what I believed, until the most terrifying thing I could have imagined happened to me.

It started when I opened my eyes once again; staring down at my shirt I noticed a spot of shining blue light. It was as though someone were shining a laser pointer at me, or just maybe, a targeting light…

"MAIDEN CHICK BEAM, FIRE!"

The voice appeared out of no where, echoing off of every wall and object, surrounding me entirely. The once small speck of light enlarged until my entire body appeared to be glowing. Then there was the shaking. I felt the polished wooden bar floor shaking madly, as though an earthquake had struck. The impact threw me off of my stool and I fell onto the floor. When I looked up, I saw five illuminating yellow roots break through the bar floor. Each was as thick as a man's torso, and for all I knew they could have been infinitely long. I looked down at myself in a massive fit of fear, realizing that I was still glowing. Unfortunately, the roots had noticed it as well. At the realization of this, I did the only thing I could think to do, I screamed. Before I could blink, each root seized one of my limbs. When everything had calmed down, I was suspended a good ten feet off of the ground, unable to move in the slightest. I was not dead, but I was so scared that I might as well have been. Had I not been contained by whatever magic was at hand, I would have been shaking uncontrollably.

"I really wish I didn't have to resort to this kind of method," The voice continued, "But you simply wouldn't leave, so I had no choice. Terribly sorry… hehehe…"

The laugh was enough to tell me who the voice belonged to. It was the Phantom Thief, Skye. I could even imagine the cocky smirk spread across his face. His footsteps, though incredibly quiet, were audible enough to inform me of his position in the bar. He traveled to the ingredients shelf, and began rummaging carefully. From my position, I could see nothing besides the dark, cobweb-stricken ceiling of the bar, and it was paining me to feel so helpless.

"What are you doing here, Skye?" I demanded, unable to hide the massive amount of fear my voice contained, "What have you done to me?!"

With a teasing laugh, the Phantom replied to me, "You are the curious one, aren't you?" He stopped his rummaging briefly, what he did in that moment was unknown to me, but he continued once again, "I remember you from when we met in spring, of course. You are always asking me these questions… I know!" He said these last words with an amount of happiness, as though he had come up with a brilliant idea, "How about we make a little bargain, hmm? You seem so interested in me, that I'll make you a deal."

"I'm listening…" I informed the thief.

"This Valley is quite the fun place, there is so much…" he paused and let out a small laugh, "…to do here. I'll be around for a while, so how about this; if you can catch me at my little game, I'll answer any question your heart desires. Would you like that, my dear?"

I squinted in distrust at the ceiling; it would have been directed towards the Phantom, but he simply was not in my possible line of vision. After a sigh of regret, I made my reply, "Fine, I accept your challenge."

The Phantom Thief laughed joyously at this. "Excellent! This is great! I believe we will have loads of fun with this."

At these words he ran back past me towards the exit of the bar. With one final cackle, he said, "Well then, my dear Holly, I believe we have a bargain." He snapped his fingers once before exiting the building and vanishing into the night.

At the snap of his fingers, the mystical roots which had been suspending me disintegrated into thin air, and I fell straight to the floor. It was then that Griffin and Muffy crashed through the bar entrance; they found me in a curled heap, and the floor destroyed where the roots had shot up from the ground.

"HOLLY!" They called to me frantically, "Are you alright?!"

I only managed to say one thing before passing out from fear and exhaustion.

"I believe we have a bargain indeed…"


	5. The Necklace

**Hey, World. This chapter is also quite a bit on the longer side, though it lacks the action that the last one contained. I hope you enjoy it anyways. I might do some editing later on it, as I'm not particularly fond of how this chapter ended up, but I'll see.**

**Skye gets a bit of POV fun at the end. Nothing big, just something I thought would be interesting to put in. The change may seem a bit abrupt, so watch out for it.**

**As always, reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated! :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

It had been a week since the Phantom's most recent heist.

After passing out on the cold floor of the Blue Bar, I awoke two days later under Dr. Hardy's watchful eye. The day afterwards the medical expert concluded that I was back to full strength, and dispatched me from the Valley Clinic. Of course, this meant I was three days out of work, which led to one unfortunate scene to return home to. After pulling on some fresh clothes for work, I entered my rustic barn to find an ark-load of very unhappy animals.

I had barely taken a step into the barn before my youngest bull took a charge at me. Jumping in shock at the sudden action, my first thought was to run straight back out of the barn and lock it. Unfortunately, I remembered that if even a bird were to hit my dilapidated barn, it would probably crumble to face its impending doom. Realizing that my most logical option there after was to comfort the troubled animal, I took my turn to stand my ground and play matador with it.

My work that day expanded into painful hours. However, there was something that I still had to do. After locking the last chicken coup, I entered my house and approached a cumbersome, mahogany trunk lying dusty and unused in a corner. Opening the lid, I carefully removed two of the several delicate objects lying within. The first was a necklace; a pink diamond-like jewel rested on a lengthy yellow chain. The second was a thin sword; sheathed, of course, in its red and yellow holder. I attached the sword to my belt securely, making sure that I had easy access to the hilt, and placed the necklace gently around my neck. With that, I exited my house. There were a few questions I had to ask someone.

--

It was earlier that day when I had heard the news, the news that the Phantom intended to strike once again.

"The scum is targeting the dig site," Vesta held nothing back as she spread the latest gossip to me during my typical morning milkman duties, "I heard that Flora woke up to find one of his little notes pined to the outside flap of the tent." She sighed before continuing, "I don't spend time there, but if Carter is even near as successful as he claims to be, the Phantom Thief is gonna have a buffet of prizes to pick from tonight."

As Vesta had finished what she was saying, I handed the milk into her strong arms. She nodded her appreciation to me. However, there was something I had been thinking about since the night Skye had raided the Blue Bar, and I decided to see if Vesta would be able to help me.

"Vesta," I asked, "What do you know about magic?"

At this question, she looked at me with a stern face and replied, "I know that it doesn't exist."

It became clear that Vesta would not be able to help me.

Continuing my route that morning, I realized who it was that I needed to talk to, though I sure as anything was not looking forward to it.

--

"HOLLY!!" "Holly!" "Holly?" "Welcome!!" "WELCOME!" "Welcome, Holly!" "I'm hungry…" "Holly's here? Welcome!" "Holly!!" "Welcome!"

I cringed at the sheer amount of joy that radiated off of the Harvest Sprites.

Noticing they had a guest, a red sprite came out of no where and sat me down in a rather miniature, mushroom-shaped chair, while two yellows threw a plate of cookies in my lap. The hideout of the Harvest Sprites was located inside of a large tree. When you entered their home, it looked as you would imagine the inside of a hollow tree to appear. The walls were all coated in bark, and each piece of furniture, besides the front desk and Baby Sprite's pots on the opposite side of the room, was a plant in some way, shape or form. This included my mushroom chair and the tree-stump table on which two purple sprites were pouring me tea.

The sprites gathered in front of me, standing there. It was as though they were waiting for me to give into their happiness and hospitality. To be honest, I found myself feeling a tad uneasy at the action, as though everything was just a façade. However, I sighed and remembered what I had come to the headquarters to accomplish, and I communicated that to the sprites gathered before me.

"As sweet as all of this is…" I gingerly placed the cookies from my lap onto the table before continuing, "I'm here for a very specific reason. Where is Roller?"

The sprites looked genuinely disappointed as the owner of the Sprite Casino stepped forward to greet me. "What may I do for you, madam?"

Delicately, I pulled out the necklace that had fallen underneath my shirt. The lilac gem began to glow eerily, as it was surrounded with such a magical environment. "I need you to tell me everything you know about magic," I requested.

"Ah, but my sweet," Roller said, regrettably, tipping his black beret in apology, "I would not be the best person to go to for this kind of question."

"But you sold this to me," I rebutted, gripping the precious necklace more tightly than I believed I should have been, "how can you not be the best person to go to?"

"You should be asking the one who gave that necklace, and every other magical artifact, its power," he corrected me, "and don't worry, my love, her home is but a few footsteps away, for someone as tall as you."

As I looked down at the creature which was easily only a third of my height, I figured that he had a solid point. After thanking the sprites, I left their tree with a deep sigh of relief. Something about those little creatures always brought a surging pain to my temples. Turning down the same path, I made my way to the sacred Goddess Pond.

The day had long turned into night since I had met with the Harvest Sprites. However, there were no stars visible, as a thick layer of clouds kept everything besides the birds from viewing them. I knelt down by the darkened pool and ran my hand through the shallow, lukewarm water. Summoning the Harvest Goddess was not a regular ceremony I performed, but regardless, I was familiar with it. Reaching into my rucksack, I removed a bottle of my ranch's finest milk. After opening the metal container, I slowly emptied the contents into the clear water. The opaque white liquid slowly mixed with the pure waters of the pond, until the surface of the water began to let off an incredible light, illuminating at least half of the valley. The pond began to turn, slowly at first, but after a brief amount of time a rapid whirlpool had formed. From the middle of the petite maelstrom, a beam of light shot into the air, as the Harvest Goddess appeared at last, hovering dreamily in front of me. She was a tall and slender woman. Her aqua colored hair was pulled back into two neat buns near the back of her head. It was only after she quickly brushed the wrinkles out of her baby blue gown did she address my presence and greet me.

"Holly," her joyous blue eyes turned to meet mine, "you certainly are not a common face at my humble pond. I suppose that the milk made up for it though; it was incredibly delicious!"

I nodded my gratitude for the compliment from the immortal goddess. Her voice was airy and light, and was carried easily by the slight breeze around us.

"I ask for knowledge, Goddess of the Harvest," I requested of her.

At my words, the Goddess grimaced, "If you are about to ask me if you and so-and-so will end up happily married, then I'm prepared to spoil every dairy product you will ever produce on that ranch of yours."

After a brief surge of panic, I shook my head rapidly. "No! No, no. Certainly not," I reassured her, "I simply have a few questions for you… about magic." At this I pulled out the seemingly fragile necklace once again, showing the goddess what I meant.

"The Necklace of Teleportation," the Goddess identified my necklace perfectly and punctually, as though it were a test she had studied for, "Alright Holly, what do you want to know?"

"Humans," I began, "we are unable to use magic on our own, yes?"

The Goddess nodded, confirming my statement. "The humans of the distant past abused magic so greatly that the gift was taken away from them. Today, I have allowed humans to use magic in a very controlled manner; through any items that either I or the Witch have blessed. These items or accessories as well become indestructible when the blessing occurs, so they will live on long after their owners fall deceased. Such as your necklace, Holly, it will never be broken by normal means."

"Normal means?" I pressed.

"Yes," the Goddess continued, "There are only two ways to destroy a blessed item. The first is for me or the Witch to destroy it, and the second is to use a legendary weapon."

I clutched the hilt of my sword tightly at the Goddess's words before she continued, "You found the Legendary Sword at bottom of the second mine three years ago, if I am not mistaken?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Not only is that sword a powerful weapon, but it is blessed with great magic. That sword would cut through the chain of your necklace as though it were softer than butter. You would never notice a thing."

At this a sly grin crossed my face. "I have only one more question," I informed the Goddess. My nervous hands occupied themselves by playing with the various grasses the circled the still-glowing pond. My knees had begun to ache from kneeling, though my eyes had finally adjusted to the blinding light.

"You may ask,"

"What do you know about the Maiden Chick Beam?"

The Goddess squinted in frustration at the spell I had mentioned. She answered me by saying, "That would be an ancient gift of the Witch Princess, so I am not as informed on it as I would be. I know that the spell was sealed in a piece of jewelry, and allows the owner to select targets to be suspended and disarmed, but that is-…"

The Goddess was cut short by what felt to be an earthquake.

My eyes widened in alert when I realized what must have just happened. "It is after midnight, is it not?" I asked the Goddess shakily.

"It is,"

"Then I must go," and with that, I gave my thanks and a polite good-bye to the Goddess before sprinting towards the dig site. The sacred light of the pond faded rapidly as I grew closer to my destination, though at this I could not help but smile. The Goddess had supplied me with more than what I had hoped for. As for now, I had a bone to pick with a certain Phantom Thief.

--

The dig site had become a wreck.

Carter and Flora's tent had been all but destroyed. As I spotted five large tears in the roof of the dwelling, what had occurred was easy enough to figure out. Objects and artifacts were scattered frantically throughout the area, and the mine entrance was now blocked by a large pile of dislodged rubble.

It was a terrible sight to behold. Something had to be done, Skye needed to be put in his place.

My hiding place was perfect; I could see the path to the dig site with incredible ease, though I was completely hidden by the surrounding cliff and darkness of night. From my spot it was not long before I spotted my target, his silver hair danced in the breeze as he bolted from the scene of the crime. His rune-encrusted necklace shed a dim blue light as it bounced along his chest as well, dangling from a simple black thread.

It would not be long now.

--

As the Phantom exited the clearing, his pace slowed to a careful walk as he crept along the dusty pathway. Feeling his way along the cliff-side that guarded the exit to the valley, he attempted to remain as unnoticed as possible.

Though, when he found himself with my sword at his neck, I hope he realized that his attempt had failed.

I could feel every muscle in his body tighten in shock and suspense as my free hand had grasped one of his arms. My sword moved threateningly across the Phantom's pale neck; I had never wanted to see his facial expression more than at that time.

"You certainly have an odd way of saying hello," The thief said coolly, his voice not betraying any fear he felt, if he felt any at all at this point.

"You're one to talk," I replied. It was true, in all of our past encounters he had been about as dramatic with his own entrances as I was currently. I made one last movement with my sword, then, with a smile etched onto my face, I sheathed the blade and moved to look the Phantom in the eye.

Skye had a similar expression on his face as mine; cocky, proud, and triumphant. His eyes were closed, unable to see me as a threat, and were paired appropriately with one of his signature grins. I never would have expected what he said next, however.

"Would you like to go to the beach?"

My facial expression went blank along with my senses. I found there was only one thing I could say to such a sudden invitation from the smooth-talking criminal, "…Sure."

Phantom Skye smiled at my answer. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it; it was a genuine smile from Skye. Not a cocky grin or a sly curve of his thin lips, and not a cunning chuckle or a devious laugh. It was a genuinely happy smile. Turning to me, he muttered, "Follow me," before running towards Forget-Me-Not Valley's beach. Eagerly, I ran after him, surprisingly able to keep pace. Perhaps all of the farm work had done some good things for my body after all.

--

On the beach, the waves peacefully fell onto the sandy cost line in the humid night. Though the stars were still hidden by the clouded sky, there was still enough light to enjoy the beauty of all of the natural surroundings. I found myself standing rather awkwardly next to Skye. I tried to focus on the quiet waves, or the darkened clouds in the sky, or even the damp sand beneath my feet, but my eyes continued to drift subconsciously over to the space where the Phantom stood beside me. The breeze played with his silver hair gently, giving the man a presence so beautiful that he might have been a model. At the sight of the man I smiled. Feeling my face heat up, I looked down, embarrassed, at my feet. I hoped strongly that they would do a trick or something else interesting.

"Do you enjoy this time of year, Holly?"

Whether he disliked the silence or simply wanted to break the ice, Skye had done a decent job of it. For the next hour or so we chatted pleasantly about food, the Valley, and some of the weather. Our conversation came to a stop when I noticed that the Phantom had appeared to have zoned out, however.

"…Skye?" I asked curiously, wondering if he was paying attention.

He turned to me quickly, as though snapping out of a daydream, and answered me, "Oh, forgive me," he muffled a yawn before continuing with what he was saying. "I've just been very tired lately."

I remembered the past spring, when I had first encountered the Phantom. I had been incredibly tired as well, and found myself saying aloud what I had been thinking at the time, "Maybe something in your life isn't working quite like it should."

At my comment the thief turned and began to leave the beach. Before he left the area however, he turned back to me, and with a slight flip of his hair, he gave me his parting words.

"Thank you for caring."

I found myself standing on the beach long after Skye had left. So much of me did not want to move, and that same part of me wanted the Phantom to return to my side. Glancing up into the night, the clouds had begun to break apart, and the stars once again cast their light into the Valley. At the wonderful sight, I looked down at my feet and smiled broadly, before turning around and heading home.

-o-o-o-o-

The dusty pathway wound around the mountain for a large amount of time.

I cast a quick glance over my shoulder to see Forget-Me-Not Valley growing smaller in the distance. The Valley was not a welcome place for me, after all. I had very little reason to stay for longer than necessary.

The breeze had evolved into gusts of surging wind. I ran a hand through my silver hair, making sure everything was still in place despite the harsh winds, and continued my way home.

Though suddenly, I stopped.

Something was not right.

I felt almost off balance, as though something were missing. I ran my hand through my hair once again, and then checked my pockets and bracelets before pulling my black rucksack off of my back and rummaging through it.

It was then that I finally noticed.

One of my hands shot to my neck and felt frantically, desperately. It was no use, however, as my necklace was gone. The Maiden Chick Beam was gone.

Closing my eyes, I felt the wind encompass my body, and I remembered Holly and her sword.

Holly…

Suddenly, I began to laugh. I had never laughed so hard in my life. I was so pleased, so happy that I simply could not stop.

Perhaps, for once, the great Phantom Thief Skye was wrong. Oh, so very, very wrong. Because, after all.

Holly was most definitely more than just a pretty face.


	6. The Storm

**Hey world! Sorry that I took a few days off. I've been really tired lately, and after being unsatisfied with how my last chapter turned out, I decided to just rest instead of push myself to write another chapter. I personally believe my decision was the right one, because I am quite happy with the end result of this one. It is also my longest, by far. Either way, it was a lot of fun to write. :3**

**Thank you for reading! Remember that reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated.**

**As a warning this chapter has brief fighting and some harsh language, as Marlin becomes quite angry. :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

The sound of falling water filled my ears, engulfing my senses. I sat with my back to an unnaturally smooth cave wall. My boots dug into the soil beneath me; it was the most fertile earth I had ever seen. I figured that in the surrounding conditions, even someone like me would have been able to grow a stalk of corn or two. But I never had a green thumb, and I doubted that I ever would.

I had retreated to my secret place; a cave hidden high in the cliff behind the waterfall. It was only accessible using the Necklace of Teleportation, or maybe if you took a long shot by riding down the waterfall. Even though the boiling summer had reached its end, with the chilling winds of autumn in the air, I still found the cavern to be refreshing and comforting. I stared blankly ahead of me towards the cave opening. It was high noon, but still the only thing visible was the waterfall itself. As I knew well, the waters would continue to fall for as long as I stayed there, and long afterwards. My mind was not focused on the running water, however. I glanced up to the stalactites on the top of the cave as my thumb stroked the object I was holding in almost a pacifying motion. I clutched the precious object tightly; a rune-encrusted necklace which emitted a dim blue light.

The morning after the night on the beach, I had left my farm to find Carter walking to the clinic with a bouquet of flowers. Flora had been seriously injured in a feeble attempt to prevent Skye from stealing some precious artifacts. I figured that the frizzy-haired blond felt that her self-defense techniques would have stopped the sly Phantom, but I knew that would not have been nearly enough to stand up to the Maiden Chick Beam.

"He took our most priceless artifacts…" Carter had told me, "I know that we're not the only ones in trouble though. It turns out that the snake took Griffin's Nile Water when he paid a visit to the Blue Bar." My eyes widened when I had recognized the name of the luxury liquid Carter had referred to, "You know, they're in pretty deep water now; Muffy and Griffin aren't quite sure what they're going to do next."

I frowned in recollection of my past encounters with Phantom Skye; none of them had ended in success, at least, not in the normal sense. My chest was once again filled with an unnatural sensation as I thought about our talk on the beach and the deal we had made. As I remembered his real, genuine smile, a blush came to my cheeks. I closed my eyes firmly in confusion; when had that man become so important to me? My hand let go of the charm of the necklace, so that it hung down, dangling directly in front of my eyes. The dim light of the single lantern in the cave reflected off of the metallic, rectangular charm, meshing with the blue light it already emitted. My mind had turned to focus on one thing; the next chance I had to meet the Phantom that night.

--

Dawn had scarcely broken that morning when I heard a banging on my door.

My first thought was fear at the possibility that my poor door would collapse under the pressure of the knocking. My second was that I should probably find out who was there.

I gently opened the door to find a thoroughly panicked Celia waiting for me. Her face was a crimson red and beads of sweat spotted her forehead; I assumed that she had sprinted to my house. As she was still wearing her pale green baggy pajamas, I realized that whatever she needed to say to me must have been incredibly urgent.

"Celia?" I asked, rather confused and dazed at the early morning hour, "What are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Between her gasps for air, she managed to say, "Just read this!" as she thrust her hand out directly in front of me, firmly grasping a folded and clearly crumpled piece of paper.

Obeying my friend, I took the piece of parchment from her and, after moving into better light, read its contents aloud.

_To whomever it may concern,_

_As of late I have found myself a tad low on food. So at midnight tonight I will stop by your farm to do a bit of grocery shopping. However, it just might slip my mind to pay for whatever I find… Hehehe._

_Have a glorious day,_

_Phantom Thief Skye_

I turned to my best friend with a look of shock plastered on my face.

"Holly… we need your help." Celia had caught her breath by this point, but her voice was desperate. I realized that she was almost begging for my help.

"Celia," I looked my friend straight in the eye. It was obvious what I needed to do, for both hers and my own sake, "You, Vesta, and Marlin are my closest friends in the Valley. There is no way that I would let you face this on your own."

At my words Celia managed a smile, and even let some of her typical happiness re-enter her voice, "So you'll be there tonight?"

"Of course,"

"Thank you, Holly!" and at that Celia gave me a great bear hug. I was never a really touchy-feely person, and honestly, hugging just made me uncomfortable, even with my best friend. However, it did seem appropriate at the moment, so I managed to feebly pat her on the back for as long as she clung to me.

After she let go and began to walk back to her own farm, Celia turned to me and said, "Oh, one more thing…"

"Yes?" I replied, signifying I was paying attention.

"The past two times the Phantom has come, he has gotten away with stealing precious goods," Celia pushed some of her thick brown hair out of her face uncomfortably at what she was saying, "Vesta won't let that happen again. If it's possible, she requests that you come armed."

My eyes grew wide at what my friend was implying. I could only manage a weak nod before Celia said her goodbyes and left my ranch. After closing my door I wobbled over to one of the walls of my wooden cabin and fell back against it. My bare feet slid across the polished floor until I was sitting back against it, staring into nothingness. Even after replaying my conversation with Celia through my mind, there was no other conclusion I was able to come to.

Should the Phantom be successful once again, Vesta was more than ready to kill him.

--

For the second time in my life, I found myself attaching the Legendary Sword to my belt as I prepared to leave my house.

I was not entirely sure what was going through my mind. Concerned as I was for Skye's life, I felt that I did not own any other weapons suitable to meet Vesta's request of arriving armed. Gently fingering the golden hilt, I decided then that even if the opportunity arose, I would not let anyone use my sword. It was too dangerous, even in my own hands. No one was going to die that night if I could help it.

Closing the antique trunk in my house, a roar of thunder sounded overhead. A storm was coming, a large one, at that. Letting out a sigh, I knew I was in for a long night. I glanced over at my large, grandfather clock to check the time; 9:55pm, the almost tired hands read. Standing up from my kneeling position, I realized it was time to go.

I opened the crippled front door to my house to be greeted by a light drizzle. Sighing at my future of wetness, I ran out into the rain in the direction of Vesta's farm. It did not take long at all; just enter the town square and cross the bridge over the river to get there. But the rain had picked up, and even after the mere two minutes it took me to arrive at the farm, I was soaking wet. At my arrival, I found the three farm workers waiting under the slight protection of the roof in front of their house, where the water ran neatly off the edge a close few inches in front of them.

"Holly!" Vesta greeted, having to almost yell over the storm, "You're a mess!"

"Nice to see you too…" I replied sarcastically. Vesta probably had a point, however. I could feel my brown hair clinging to my face and neck, and my button down shirt and pants were sagging with the added weight of the water.

The family and I walked inside, and they immediately began briefing me on the plan. We were to split up into two groups; Marlin with Celia, (No surprise there…) then Vesta and Myself. We would each cover a section of the farm. From there, if the Phantom was to be spotted, one of the two would attempt to disable him while the other would seek assistance. Once everyone was clear on the plan, we prepared to brave the storm.

"Marlin, Celia, watch yourselves," Vesta cautioned the two, "You both know what stressful activity in a storm like this could do to people in your conditions. Just be careful."

The two nodded; Celia with more understanding while Marlin seemed to have heard this speech a few too many times. With this, all of us left and prepared ourselves for the worst.

--

If there was a word to describe a condition beyond both "soaked" and "saturated" with water, then I would have used it.

The rain came down in sheets; it was more difficult to see through than fog and felt almost as though we were being showered with icy needles. I glanced over at Vesta a few times, and even her frizzy hair had been flattened by the waters. For the storm she wore a yellow rain jacket bright enough to stop traffic, but in the situation we were in, it was probably for the best that we could see each other well. In anticipation, she firmly gripped a rather large hand axe. I gulped; even the sight of the large woman with any sort of weapon sent a quiver of fear throughout my body.

We were stationed on opposite sides of a field of eggplant. Luckily, it was early in the fall, so we were able to see easily over the plants, and there were no obtrusive purple vegetables to get in the way of our operations.

In all of my thinking, I had not noticed that I had begun shivering madly. I was very cold; standing out in a storm would do that to you, of course. I almost did not hear the words Vesta and I were waiting for over the sound of my chattering teeth. Celia had come over, wearing a similar coat as Vesta, and yelled over to us.

"Vesta! Holly! He's here!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs so that we would hear her at all. The storm blocked out almost every noise. "Marlin is trying to hold him off, but he's going to need help!"

"OH YEAH! That boy is going to cry tonight!" Vesta hollered her reply with great enthusiasm. It seemed that she had been waiting to get her hands on the Phantom Thief for a while. "Holly! Let's go!"

I followed her and Celia across the property to two more areas covered with crops. In a narrow space between two of the fields, we found Marlin staring down the Phantom Thief himself. The thief's silver hair had been scattered and split from the rain, and he had shed his cow-print shirt, my guess was that the rain had ruined it. He wore a black undershirt over his thin frame with his signature purple pants, which were saturated along with it.

"You know you're not welcome here," Marlin told him calmly. From the rather dry appearance of his typical white shirt and blue pants, my guess was that he too had been wearing one of the atrocious raincoats which Celia and Vesta had on, though he had recently shed the layer. His thick black curls still held their volume even in the harsh storm; frankly, I was impressed at their vigilance. The surprise came to me when I noticed he was unarmed. Knowing Marlin, he had not taken Vesta seriously in her request.

"I thank you for pointing out the obvious," the wet Phantom replied, a smirk covered his face, "now if you will excuse me…"

"You're not going anywhere except behind bars, you Snake," Marlin told the other man straight. From where I was standing, facing into the fields, I could not seem Marlin's facial expression. I felt I knew the man fairly well though, and as I would guess, it was quite the opposite of his opponent's; serious and straightforward, bordering on angry.

"Now I would enjoy seeing how you would arrange that," Skye replied with a disbelieving chuckle.

Celia turned to Vesta with deep concern in her eyes, "Auntie, you have to help him!"

Vesta however, only sighed to herself and replied, "Celia, this is Marlin's battle. If I were to interfere, everything would fall apart. I'm going to go contact the authorities, make sure that nothing happens." With that, she stood up and ran off.

"Holly what are we going to do?!" Celia was almost to the point of panic. Her expression was dreadful to watch, though I only knew one thing to say to her.

"We're going to make sure that nothing happens," I said simply. At my words, Celia looked down and thrust her hands into the muddy earth in frustration. Worry surged through my body at the thought of the fight which was sure to erupt in a matter of time. At this, I took off my belt, which contained the Legendary Sword, and hid it within the taller crops. I cast a glance behind me, in the direction of the pathway and house where Vesta had ran, to make sure I had not been caught in my strange act.

When I heard footsteps I glanced up once more from our place at the end of the field. Marlin ran towards Skye in frenzy and wildly swung his powerful and anger-filled fists. Skye easily dodged, however, seeing through Marlin's dangerous, though inexperienced movements. Their combat continued in motion; in time, they were slowly moving towards where Celia and I were hiding by the main house. When they had exited the field, they found themselves on the muddied pathway leading to the outside of Forget-Me-Not Valley, where they both paused, breathing deeply. I blinked in confusion as, if I recalled correctly, Skye had never thrown a single punch.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Marlin called to the Thief in rage, "Fight like the snake you are! Come on, I dare you to bite me."

The Phantom only laughed at the man though, before replying, "Haha… Oh, this is all quite fun, but I must get on with my job."

"Damn you… get out of here. Now!"

"Well you are quite the confusing man," Skye's voice was filled with mockery as he continued, "You want me to fight you, and then you want me to leave. Which am I supposed to do? Hmm…?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, and now more instructions?" The Phantom began laughing harder; his mischievous cackling filled the air, regardless of the storm.

Marlin charged the Phantom once again. However, he again missed, and found his blow colliding with the wooden wall of the household. After moving his clenched fist, one could easily see the cracks left in the soaked wood from the collision.

"Honestly, you need to learn to control your temper," the Phantom's instructions only managed to infuriate Marlin more than previously, as he tried again to strike a blow on the lithe man.

"Well, what shall I do now?" Skye seemed to be tired and unimpressed at Marlin's attempt to fight him. "I could see what vegetables are ripe for the picking inside of this storehouse..." his eyes scanned the area, stopping when reaching Celia and Myself. At the sight of Celia, a greater wry smile was etched across the man's face. "Or, perhaps I could just take the young maiden in the rain coat over there," he motioned to Celia, "Would that be alright with you? Or did I strike a nerve with that one?"

"ASSHOLE!!" Marlin screamed at the Phantom's threats of Celia. Reaching near the house, he grabbed a heavy, unused hoe lying on the ground. He swung the tool with great vengeance as lightning struck, lighting up the scene further. On contact with the tool, Skye was thrown several feet to the side, falling into the crop field and crushing a few unsuspecting vegetables. I let out a small scream; I could even feel my eyes filling up with tears at the sight of the harsh blow. The Phantom managed to sit up weakly; even he could not summon the ability to disguise the pain from such a hit. A gash was laced across the side of his head where the hoe made impact. Blood fell generously from the wound, staining his undershirt and hair, and mixing with the rainwater to soak not only half of his face, but also his neck, upper torso, and his arm over time. I knew my face was struck with fear and concern at the man's horrible condition.

Skye shoved himself uneasily off of the ground, and after licking the blood off of the side of his face, he grinned and addressed Marlin, who was currently standing in shock, "Well… that must have been quite a nerve I struck."

Regaining his composure, Marlin replied uneasily, "At least there is someone I care about enough to want to give anything to protect them. At this rate, I can tell, that all you'll ever care about is-..." Marlin was cut off as he dropped his bloodstained hoe suddenly. Leaning over slightly, he began to cough harshly and uncontrollably. The rain had soaked through his shirt, giving it a look of transparency. With one hand over his mouth and one grasping his chest, he kneeled over into the mud, trying to regain control.

"…Myself?" After completing Marlin's sentence, Skye turned away from the sickly man and locked eyes with me through the storm. He read me easily; judging simply from the amount concern and caring I felt for him and Marlin, it was probably not a difficult job. The rain began to pour even harder along with hail around us; the spheres of ice pelted the Valley and everything in it. After a period of time, the Thief turned back to face Marlin. Though his coughing had subsided, he leaned on one of his arms to even stay standing on his knees.

"Maybe you're wrong," For the first time that night, Skye was not smiling at Marlin. He wiped a great amount of blood off of his cheek with the back of his hand. After glancing at it, he continued, "Maybe there is someone I would protect."

"It's probably your mother," Marlin managed to choke out his feisty words even in his condition.

Skye shook his head, not even acknowledging Marlin's attack.

"Why… then," Marlin's words came more difficultly as the storm grew stronger and he fell weaker, sinking further into the marsh-like path, "A pretty bastard like you, why would she care about more than your damn fake words and how perfect your hair looks in the friggin moonlight…" Marlin coughed once again before struggling to continue, "How… do you know she cares..?"

The Phantom walked closer to the sick man, and knelt down to look him straight in the eyes. "Because even now, I can see her face is filled with worry. It's not worry of whether or not I will have a hideous scar when this is over, no it's worry of if I am alright. Worry of whether or not I am in pain and suffering, worry of if I will still be alive to see tomorrow morning. Surely she feels concern for you as well, her trusted friend, of course. But she also feels it for me; a thief and a coward." Skye stood up again, and turned to face the Valley's exit before finishing, "And believe me, that girl's concern for me now is a damn lot more than anyone else has ever felt." The Phantom Thief at last ran from the farm and out of eyesight, to face the storm and his injury alone.

My heart was beating like a drum at Skye's words. Even though my face was red from the biting cold and rain, one could still see the deep blush set across my cheeks and the fear which filled my eyes. Celia beside me was too scared to move as tears ran down her face. It was clear that her tears of sadness were for Marlin and Marlin alone. She managed at last, however, to stand out of the mud and run over to Marlin, sobbing into his back. It appeared that he had passed out from the pain he felt; as his entire body was now face-down into the path.

"Celia, he needs to get inside now," My voice was shaky, along with my heart and my entire body. I was thoroughly scared from the fight and the events that had occurred that night, but I knew that Marlin needed to be taken care of before anything else was discussed.

It appeared that Celia had gone as far as she was going that night, however. She continued to cry tears of sorrow into Marlin's neck; I was sure that she would have stayed there all night.

"Please," I begged weakly, it was all I could manage. I staggered over to my friend and placed a hand on her shoulder, "We need to get him inside."

Finally, she nodded. Together we managed to lift him up and into the house. Celia took him from there, and thanked me weakly before going to change him into some clean clothes. At that, I exited the house once again to wait for Vesta, realizing there was nothing else I could do.

--

At 4:00am, the storm had dwindled to a friendly shower.

There was one lantern on in the household. Vesta and I sat together at the dining table in solemn silence. Celia had fallen asleep at Marlin's bedside; her face was still streaked with tears for the man lying weakly in front of her. After pushing a piece of damp brown hair out of my face, I pulled a simple blue blanket closer around me in an attempt to gain some warmth. Skye's words earlier had filled me up with immense, pleasant heat, but that alone could not bring warmth to my rain-battered skin.

"Will he be alright?" Breaking the silence I glanced over to where Marlin and Celia were.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Vesta answered, regret coated her voice, "What was I thinking? Leaving you kids here?"

"You aren't at fault for what happened,"

"You all could have been killed!"

"He was unarmed, Vesta!" by that time our voices had increased almost to a yell, so I took a deep breath to calm down before continuing, "Besides, we are not children anymore."

Vesta sighed before resting her head in her hands.

"Marlin put up a fight, you know," I reassured the woman, "He gave the thief a scar he'll never be rid of…" At my last comment I cringed, hoping Vesta would not notice.

"He is a fighter," she replied, "He's fighting every day of his life."

I nodded in understanding. I did not know the details of Marlin's condition, but from everything that Vesta had said and from what I saw only a few hours previous, it was not a very hopeful illness.

Vesta stood up from the table, through with the topic. "At least nothing was taken. He seemed to have left before completing the job," Her face was still grim however, even after giving what seemed to be the only good news that night. She approached what appeared to be a closet in the corner of the dimly lit house. From it, she removed a small cot and an extra pillow.

"You'll be staying here tonight," she told me.

I did not object, as every bone in my body seemed to ache. After placing my sleeping materials on the floor, Vesta walked over to her own bed. She crawled under the covers, and pulled the blankets up close to her neck.

"Whenever you go to bed, turn the lantern off," she told me groggily before closing her eyes for the night.

I turned to stare lazily into the lantern light. My face turned into a frown when I remembered the words Vesta had told me earlier in spring; I promised her that I would never forget what was most important to me. Phantom Thief Skye; the man was making this promise exceedingly hard to keep. When did he become so precious to me? When… and why? With these final thoughts, I stood up from the dining table.

"Maybe someday I will be able to answer these questions…" I thought aloud to myself, "but now, it's time for sleep."

With much on my mind and fatigue in my bones, I turned the lantern off and fell quickly into a welcome state of sleep.


	7. The Recovery

**Hey world, how are you all doing today?**

**So this chapter is a bit different, as about half of it is from Celia's POV. You will notice a POV change every time there is a break that looks like this:**

**-o-o-o-**

**One more thing, I'm working on revising some of the earlier chapters, so those may be updated in the near future. The storyline will remain exactly the way it is, so if you have already read the earlier chapters, then you don't have to bother to go back and read them, as they won't be too much different.**

**Other than that, another huge thanks to everyone who has been reading my little story. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

The sun had barely risen above the horizon before I left Vesta's farm the next morning.

Yes, that meant that I had received less than two hours of sleep that night.

Yes, that also meant that I was ready to thoroughly strangle a kitten if it were to cross me that day.

I had received the worst amount of sleep I could possibly get; I was tired enough to be incredibly irritable, though at the same time, awake enough to be irritated by everything I saw. If I had received any less sleep, I would have simply been walking around as though I were a zombie fresh out of its grave. I remembered experiencing that sensation the previous spring, and it had not been a feeling I was fond of.

When I caught myself feeling the urge to smash my glass bottles of milk into the still-marshy ground, I decided that a little coffee would possibly be helpful that morning. So after a few deep, cleansing breaths of air, I managed to finish my milkman route (with no broken bottles, I was proud to say) and stopped briefly at the Inner Inn before going home.

The lobby of the inn was bright, spacious, and practically screamed the word "WELCOME!" Whicker chairs and cozy leather couches were placed throughout the space along with a simple wooden coffee table. There were luxurious paintings and exquisite potted plants distributed generously along the walls of the room; according to Ruby, they gave the inn an air of sophistication. However, when compared to the scuffed wooden floors, cracking ceilings, and the fraying branches on the aged whicker chairs, I found that the Inner Inn did not quite have the five-star quality that Ruby gave it credit for. Still though, when I found myself lounging in front of the warm brick fireplace with a strong cup of black coffee, there was little that could have possibly made the moment better.

On a chilly fall morning such as that one, it was typical that the lobby was abuzz with locals from throughout the Valley. Gossip and rumors were spread like wildfire; after all, when you lived in such a small Valley, everyone knew everything about everybody. With this kept in mind, I was not surprised in the slightest to hear the hot topic of the day; Phantom Thief Skye's latest heist.

"He was at Vesta's farm last night!"

"I heard he took every bag of seed they owned,"

"Well, I heard that he shot Marlin through the heart with a shotgun from point-blank range!"

"You idiot! The poor boy would have been dead on the spot if that had happened!"

"I heard that Celia fell in love with the Phantom at first sight and that they had quite a wild night. My money's on that she'll be giving birth to his twins in the next nine months! Ha-ha!"

The last one caused me to have a spit-take in shock and disbelief. As I delicately dabbed at my now coffee-stained shirt, I wondered just how bored the people of the Valley must have been to believe and spread such rumors.

"You know, I heard that Holly poisons our milk every morning. I made sure not to drink mine this today…"

"She is quite the bitter one; I bet she tortures her animals!"

"What?!"

"No way!"

With that, I quickly took my leave. When high on gossip, the Valley dwellers could be quite irrational and rather frightening. I did not want to find myself being harassed with drabble-filled, incoherent questions.

--

It was 8:30am when I found myself walking down the muddied pathway home.

My boots were still caked with dried mud and dirt from the operation the previous night. Still, I felt my body sink into the earth ever-so-slightly with every step I took. The violent storm from the night before had clearly left its mark on Forget-Me-Not Valley. Branches, stones, and fallen trees littered pathways and fields alike for as far as my eyes could see. The clouds still contained a look of menacing gray as they hovered in the sky. I could see gloom in the future of that day, simply from a glance at my surroundings.

I had only been to my farm once so far, and that was only to grab my wagon and milk from inside the barn. Even though at the time I had been delusional with frustration at the world, I was surprised that I had not noticed something was wrong.

My door was gone.

"AHH!" I shouted in a mix of shock, frustration, and mild confusion at the sight of my open house. The mere thought of how much a door would cost me cause me to let out a large groan. I was not a necessarily poor person, but had always found myself to be very conservative with my earnings. I had been putting off replacing my front door for several reasons; firstly because it would cut into my budget, secondly because, well, frankly I was just lazy. Gathering myself together, I meandered up to my old cabin.

However, the surprise that I experienced outside was nothing compared to what awaited me inside. After entering the awkwardly empty doorway, what I found made my eyes widen in shock. For a while I only stood still, stunned, with my mouth gaping open.

I found myself only able to manage saying three words.

"Oh hell no…"

-o-o-o-

"Celia?"

Was someone calling my name? Or is it all a dream; a terrible, terrible dream? I felt a strong hand firmly grasp my shoulder. The hand then began to shake me gently; whoever was calling my name was attempting to wake me.

"Celia, come on, it's after eight,"

My eyes flickered open rather unwillingly. Auntie Vesta was up and dressed for the day; I finally figured out that it was her who was calling me. I rubbed my eyes in a small attempt to get the drowsiness and fatigue out of them. Frowning, the sleepiness finally hit me, and I found that I was very tired. My vision was still blurred from sleep, but it was easy to see that I was in my house. However, a look of confusion entered my face when I realized that I was in the common room. This struck me as odd, as that was not where I normally slept. I also noticed that I was leaning over. I attempted to sit up straight, though my back and neck protested wildly with a series of audible cracks and aches. When I eventually managed to stand up, I found that I had been sitting on a stool all night, and that I had been leaning over on…

…Marlin.

I felt a sob escape my throat.

This was not a terrible dream.

It was a horrible stroke of reality.

At my apparently predictable reaction, Vesta only let out a sigh. Even her normal ready-to-take-on-the-world demeanor had been struck down today, and replaced by one of silent sorrow.

"Celia," she told me, "I need you to stay here and keep close tabs on Marlin today, alright?"

"But Auntie," I began to protest; this was extremely unlike her, "What about you? What about the fields? You can't manage them on your own…"

"I'll be fine on my own for a day or two," She reassured me. Auntie's voice however, was like stone; firm and cold. "Just take care of Marlin, we don't know what to expect."

"You pay me to work in those fields,"

"This is your work today, Celia!" Vesta's tone rose to a frightening level. I flinched and felt myself take a few steps backward, letting several strands of my mangled brown hair fall in front of my eyes.

"Auntie…" I began. I was scared, scared of everything, too scared to say anything more.

"He's my brother you know," Auntie Vesta proceeded to the doorway to begin her work. Her voice had fallen almost to a whisper. Somehow, the change frightened me more than her angry tone only moments before, "Please… take care of him."

The moment the door closed behind her, tears began rolling down my cheeks. My knees collided with the hardwood floor as I began to fall forward. I placed my hands in front of me for support, bringing me to a crawling position. I felt so incredibly small; the position seemed suitable for me.

I could only watch as my tears fell one by one onto the wood below me. They each made a splash, one by one, like raindrops in a storm.

Everything was wrong.

-o-o-o-

I was barely able to take another step forward into my own home.

In the middle of my house stood a humble dining table, the thing that had brought me into such shock was who was seated at it. Head down on the rustic dining surface, a man in a black undershirt and purple pants was at my table, inside of my house. His lengthy silver hair covered not only his head and face, but also his arms, which seemed to serve as a pillow for the man, and the nearby area surrounding him.

I cautiously stepped towards the man; after some brief observations, I came to the obvious conclusion that he was out cold, unconscious. The Phantom Thief Skye had passed out at my dining table.

Gently lifting up his hair, I found what I had expected, but did not want to see. The wound that Marlin had made on the side of his head was still open. Blood had hardened along part of the surface of the gaping sore, but not all of it. It continued to bleed; I figured that the gash was even deeper than it appeared. The warm red liquid had fallen along and drenched the majority of his face, hair, and neck, along with the surface of my table.

At the nauseating sight, I pulled back uneasily, leaning on the table for support. Looking down at my hand, however, I found a piece of parchment contently placed beside it. I took the off-white paper and read it in the dim light of the house.

_To whomever it may concern,_

_Last night, not only did I come out of my heist unsuccessful, but I was also left with a rather unpleasant souvenir. Due to my current living conditions, I am not only afraid that I have very few supplies to treat such a wound, but I am certain that it would fall to infection in one way or another._

_Though I hate to ask anyone for favors, I am in need of urgent care, and there are very few people whom I can trust at all. At this point I will have likely fallen unconscious to pain, so I apologize for not being here to convince you one way or another. However, though I would much prefer you to try and nurse my condition, I realize how simple it would be for you to simply leave me for dead._

_It is your choice._

_Good luck,_

_Phantom Thief Skye_

The man really did not have to be so dramatic.

While my chest was filled with warmth at the thought of being trusted by Skye, it made me flinch to think about having to take care of his gaping wound. I groaned, pulled my sleeves up, and proceeded to gather the necessary supplies spread throughout my house. First thing was first; I had to clean him up.

I dampened a clean cloth from the kitchen and returned to the unconscious Phantom. Pulling his hair back, I began by gently dabbing the affected area. However, this evolved into almost violently scrubbing the blood stains off of the rest of his upper torso, leaving raw areas of red skin where the blood traces use to lie. Sighing, I realized that long before I finished Skye's little sponge bath I had come to a conclusion-

If anyone else had fallen unconscious at my dining table, I would have likely considered leaving them for dead.

-o-o-o-

Even though it was going on two in the afternoon, I still appeared as if I had just woken up.

It was unlike me to put so little effort into my appearance, but then again, everything seemed off today.

I watched the slow rise and fall of Marlin's chest; it was soothing, seeing something so regular. Sadly, it only took a glance at his ghostly pale face to remember why I was so worried again.

The creamy bedspread was askew from where I had slept the previous night. After straightening it, I considered leaving the man's bed briefly to put myself together a little. However, after a fit of coughing escaped his chest, I clutched my metal stool in diligence; I was not leaving his side.

I tucked Marlin in further under the covers and made sure the heat pack on his forehead still contained warmth. While doing so, I froze; my heart had begun to beat quickly as my hand brushed unintentionally against his hair. For the first time that day, I smiled. My cheeks grew warm as a blush spread across my face. I gently placed my hand on his head, playfully fingering with Marlin's thick black curls. The simple sensation filled me with such indescribable happiness.

I loved it.

I loved him.

My heart burned with passion as my hand left Marlin's hair. He was so close to me; lying in a bed only inches away, but still he was too far away. I could not bear to see him like this. Reaching under the covers, I found one of his large, callused hands. It was eerily cold; the sheer feeling of it chilled my entire body and froze my soul.

"Here," I told Marlin, whether he was listening or not, "I'll warm your hands up for you."

I firmly held his hand with both of my own.

"…Because I love you, and as long as I'm holding your hand, you'll never be able to leave me,"

My eyes began to fill up with tears even at the thought of losing him.

"If you can't hold on, I'll hold on for you,"

A single drop crawled down my cheek as I held onto Marlin's hand with all of the strength I could muster.

"Please… Don't go…"

-o-o-o-

Night had fallen over Forget-Me-Not Valley.

Throughout the day I had tended to the unconscious Skye's wound. I gauzed, wrapped, re-gauzed, and re-wrapped, and even surrendered my bed to the passed-out man so that he would not end up sleeping in a dining room chair. Aside from taking care of the animals and my daily chores, I had not left my house at all.

I had fallen asleep in my spare cot on the floor of my house that night. Skye had been tucked in firmly and I was finally ready to let him sleep. However, the night did not go so smoothly.

"AHHH!"

I awoke with a start at the sudden noise. It was a shout; one in fear. Without moving my body, I shifted my eyes up to the bed lying parallel to my cot; Skye was sitting up straight looking ahead of him like a deer in headlights. His breathing came heavily, and from what I could see, sweat poured down his face and saturated his clothing. I found that the Phantom had not shouted because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but because of something else; something that only he had seen.

A nightmare?

Fully conscious for the first time since who-knows-when, the Phantom blinked rapidly and took in his surroundings. Letting out a sigh, he smiled slightly; his sweat-streaked face and body relaxed when he realized where he was. Slowly, aware of the pain he felt from his tightly gauzed, wrapped, and medicated wound, he sunk back down into the bed and closed his eyes.

However, I remained unconvinced, and as I found out, for good reason. Every time a sound broke out in the night, Skye's eyes shot open, as though he were preparing to flee. Whether the sound was natural or foreign to the night, loud or soft, his eyes would flicker open on cue. The sounds could have been those that only a thief's ears could hear, or they could have even been ones he only imagined he heard, but regardless, normally less than ten minutes would pass before the Phantom's eyes would find themselves open once again.

No wonder the man was so tired…

This cycle continued for hours on end. I was never sure if he caught me observing him or not, but either way, nothing changed. Eventually, my eyelids grew too heavy to manage, and I fell into a deep sleep of my own.

-o-o-o-

One lantern continued to flicker on a small wooden night stand.

Midnight had come and gone. I found myself on my knees by Marlin's bedside, still firmly grasping his hand. I had watched time go by second by second for that entire day. I had witnessed every medical technique I knew or had heard of fail. Dr. Hardy had even come by; after a brief examination, however, he claimed that there was nothing he could do. What I was left with was hope, and only enough strength to feebly hold the man's hand.

My hands were shaking with weakness at such a late hour. It was all I could do to keep my eyes from closing, but I knew that was not an option. I leaned over and placed my head on Marlin's chest, resting my neck and back. My eyes turned down to observe the simple bedspread as I smiled, and simply listened to his heart beat.

tha-dump

tha-dump

I intertwined my fingers with Marlin's. The relaxing beat of his heart caused my eyelids to grow heavier and heavier.

tha-dump

tha-dump

In a massive state of drowsiness, my eyes flew open. What had I just heard?

tha-…I

Love you,

Celia… tha-dump

I jumped to my feet and clasped my hands around his. The stool I had been sitting on fell to the ground in a noisy collision and it rolled merrily away towards Vesta's bed. My eyes were wide in shock as I placed my ear directly on his chest.

tha-dump

tha-dump

"Please, say it again," I begged in a whisper.

tha-dump

tha-dump

"Please…"

tha-dump

tha-dump

"I love you, Celia."

Frantically I looked to the source of the words. Marlin's eyes were half-open drowsily as they locked with my own. Mine, however, began to overflow with tears once again. This time, they were tears of pure joy. A painful grin stretched across his face as I threw my arms around him and began sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. Through it all, he took my hand in his, and told me exactly what I needed to hear.

"Don't worry, I'll never let go of you."

-o-o-o-

The next morning I awoke to find my bed empty and neatly made. It was as though the Phantom Thief had never been there at all.

As I continued my daily tasks, it took me a while before I noticed that all of my aspirin, gauze, bandages, and disinfecting ointment had mysteriously vanished. I threw a fist against the wall of my house in frustration, even though I knew the action would solve nothing.

Phantom Thief Skye…

It was not until even later that I discovered that he had had the last say in our meeting. As I sat down to eat at my little table, I found yet another piece of parchment left on the chair Skye had fallen unconscious in. I let out a sigh as I already knew who it was from, but after I read the note, I could not help but laugh. I laughed uncontrollably out of happiness, out of joy, and out of love for a man who had come to mean more to me than almost anything else. Even in laughter, I pulled the paper up to the light once again, and with a blush on my face and a feeling of pure giddiness in my heart, I read its contents out loud for the world to hear.

"Thank you."


	8. The Quiet Winter

**Hello! 8D Sorry about the brief delay with this chapter.**

**I found this chapter to be very fulfilling to write. Maybe I'm just weird, but I did. It is shorter than most of the other recent chapters, but still, I think it's helpful to the development of whatever plot I have. xD**

**Anyways, reviews and criticism are still greatly appreciated! ****I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

Of every season of the year, I always found Forget-Me-Not Valley to be the most beautiful in winter.

Celia has always disagreed with me; she claimed that winter was the saddest season of the year. After all, nothing grew in winter, not even the weeds.

But why could it not be both sad and beautiful?

It was the middle of the season when I exited my cabin. Proceeding to the pathway leaving my farm, I stopped and took in the sights of my surroundings. A sheet of snow gave a thin, white coating to everything in the Valley. Footprints were aplenty and littered about in the aging blanket of snow; they traveled this-way and that across the main paths. I could almost imagine their creators traversing to and fro across the roads, pondering where they were going and why.

The trees were a deep gray; the cold had left them barren of their leaves. They were left to extend their naked branches into the biting air. It was the little things like the trees that made Celia so depressed during the times of winter. If you asked me, however, the dark trees were little more than a perfect color contrast to the blinding white that covered everything else.

I turned to face directly at my ranch; the sight was still unusual to me. In the past weeks I had finally pulled myself together and made a phone call to Gotz, the carpenter. My order started out small; I needed a door, especially with winter coming. However, as I thought about winter, with its biting cold, harsh winds, and especially the oncoming snowstorms, I realized that I would likely have to repair every building on my farm at least once throughout the season. Upon that revelation, I asked the poor carpenter to update every building on my ranch.

As a result, my ranch actually looked, well, respectable, I had come to realize. The freshly glossed wood appeared to shine almost as brightly as the snow on the sunny winter morning. Nothing appeared to be on the verge of collapse, or that it already had collapsed. The sight was new, and honestly, greatly welcomed.

I proceeded to take care of my daily chores, until I realized that I had been displaying a large, rather goofy smile. It was so unlike me that I immediately stopped what I was doing and attempted to force my mouth into its usual grimace, only to no avail. It was apparently not the first time I had been wearing that smile, as I had received comments from several of the Valley dwellers.

--

It started near the end of autumn, before the cold had set in.

I had not even begun my milk route when Takakura spotted me in the early morning.

"Ah, Holly," He greeted, "You seem happy this morning, it's great to see you smile for once."

I remember being thoroughly confused by this. I was Holly, the bitter thorns of Forget-Me-Not Valley. Everyone knew me to appear unenthusiastic to be alive and kicking.

I shrugged off Takakura's greeting as a teasing remark and continued my route. However, it was not long before I found myself being barraged with similar comments from the other residents in the Valley.

"So our little ranch-hand CAN smile, would you look at that?"

"If even you are happy today, then it must be a great day to be living,"

"Holly," Dr. Hardy's voice, however, was one of concern, "You look so happy, are you feeling alright? How about confused? Delusional? Do you have a fever?"

I scrambled out of the Valley clinic quickly before the doctor was able to take out any tools. Taking a few steps out of the doorway, I caught my reflection in a closed window. It turns out that I was, in fact, smiling. It was a large goofy grin; perfect to match the warmth and silly giddiness I felt inside of my chest. My mind kicked myself back in motion at the sight of my face; that was not who I was.

It was not until I arrived at Vesta's farm that I realized just what was wrong with me.

The strong woman awaited my arrival as usual in the morning, however, the face I had tried desperately to wipe away had eagerly returned. At the sight of me, Vesta let out a sigh, and smiled broadly herself.

"I know that face," She spoke with a slightly mysterious tone, "I know it very well."

"What do you mean?" I replied. Her tone had succeeded in catching my attention.

"I see it all the time with my two roommates here," She motioned back towards the house before finishing, "You're in love."

I could feel my eyes widen as she spoke to me. I was in love? My hand subconsciously reached up to my neck, where a certain necklace with a mysterious blue glow sat constantly.

I could hear his voice; soft like velvet, yet with a dangerous edge.

I remembered his hair; a shining silver color which always sat perfectly on his back.

I imagined his genuine smile; a crimson blush crossed my cheeks.

I felt his note of gratitude lying contently in my pocket, and a surge of warmth filled my chest.

I loved him?

…I loved him.

Phantom Thief Skye, what had you done to me?

--

Vesta had obviously referred to Celia and Marlin when she spoke to me that day.

It was adorable, really, Celia told me all about it; the moment Marlin was able to sit up on his own again, he scrambled out of bed and pushed himself up on one knee. There, in his pajamas, with hair he had not even seen for over a week, he had proposed to her.

"Of course I said yes!" Celia had on the largest smile I think a human face could manage without tearing itself as she spoke.

So the first day Marlin was able to stand on his own, he stood at the end of the aisle, and took Celia to be his bride. Unfortunately, he found that standing was not equal to picking up his new wife bridal-style, and they both fell over in a big white heap at the end of the formal ceremony.

After the uneventful reception, the newly wedded couple invited me over to the farm for a quiet family dinner.

"You are family to us, Holly," Marlin had argued with me. I tried pointing out the obvious fact that I was not related to him, and as a result should not attend the dinner, but he replied saying, "You have been through more with us than most of our other family combined; you deserve a seat at our table tonight more than anyone."

The dinner turned out to be a pleasant little affair. Other than the lovely couple, it was only Vesta and I at the dinning table that night, so we sat and listened happily to the enthusiastic duo plan their future together.

"Do you think we should move out?" Marlin asked his new companion, holding her hands and staring deeply into her eyes.

"Maybe, if we have the money," Celia replied, mirroring her husband's actions with the same amount of passion, "But is it necessary to move far away?"

"I'd like to see a bit of the world,"

"We would come back though, right?"

"Yes," Marlin began gently stroking Celia's hand, "This is our home. Even if we tried, one day we would find ourselves coming back here anyways."

"I love you…" Celia then pressed her lips against her husband's, and they locked in a deep, intimate kiss.

"HEY!" Vesta hollered at the lovebirds, shaking her arms like an angry gorilla, "Not at the dinner table, okay? People are still trying to eat here!"

I sighed in relief; I knew could always count on Vesta to ruin a moment.

After dinner, we all moved in front of the fireplace for warmth; it was only the first day of winter, but the cold had already come on strong. Marlin smiled wryly as Celia played teasingly with his black curls. He placed an arm around her thin waist and pulled her delicately closer on the (appropriately named,) love seat. She placed her head on his chest; her brown hair fell smoothly across his broad shoulders and onto his shirt. Vesta smiled at the two from her rocking chair as her eyes began to fall lazily. I turned my attention to the flickering fire as it eagerly ate up the fresh wood it had been fed.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Vesta asked out of the blue.

The couple turned to her, confused by her question.

"Marriage is one of the greatest commitments in the world," the woman explained, letting out a yawn, "You are bound to each other for the rest of your lives; it can be such a painful bond to bear."

Marlin closed his eyes slightly in understanding at what his sister was implying. She continued, "You have given up your freedom to be with each other… is that really what you want?"

To Vesta's surprise, Celia began to laugh at her statement. Marlin, however, smiled, and turned to face Vesta.

"Vesta," he explained, "Marriage is a huge commitment, sure. Honestly, if people marry only for marriage, it will only end in disaster. Both people will be chained to each other, and eventually find themselves to be the most lonely people in the world, even together."

"But that's not what marriage is really about," Celia continued for Marlin, "When you find one person who is perfect for you, marriage is about bringing you together in love and harmony forever."

"So that by coming together,"

"…and committing to each other,"

"…instead of chaining yourself down,"

The couple finished together, "You're actually letting yourself be free."

Vesta only nodded sarcastically at the newlywed's dramatic little speech. "Gaining your freedom by giving it up, yeah, you guys make a whole lot of sense."

I sat completely still as I listened to the conversation at hand. After Vesta's remark, I excused myself and decided to head home. Marlin and Celia were cute to watch; it was obvious they were holding back in front of me, and I preferred that. After closing the door behind me, I could not help but assume that they had a long night ahead of them, if you know what I mean.

--

Of every season of the year, I always found Forget-Me-Not Valley to be the most beautiful in winter.

I managed to finish up my daily work and my reminiscing before three, leaving me quite satisfied. I proceeded to the front of my ranch; the same place where I had stared across the Valley just earlier that morning. It was there that I noticed Celia walking up the path to my ranch, holding a peculiar-shaped package.

"Holly," she greeted me dryly. My friend's voice honestly caused me a good amount of worry. I had rarely seen her like that before.

"Celia," I replied, concerned, "What's going on?"

She handed me the package, and waited for me as I slowly unwrapped it. Tearing the paper off layer by layer, I slowly came to the contents of the lengthy parcel.

"Oh no…" I muttered, shaken. Even in the cold of winter, I felt myself begin to sweat nervously when I found what the parcel contained. I was holding the Legendary Sword.

"I found it in our fields today," Celia informed me, "it was very well placed out of sight, as though it were… hidden."

As I looked into my friend's eyes I realized we were thinking the same thing. On the night of the Phantom's most recent raid, I had hidden my sword in the fields to make sure it was not used in combat. I had completely forgotten about the weapon.

"Celia…" I tried desperately to conjure an explanation for my friend, but nothing came.

"If you had given Marlin this sword," Celia began quietly, "then that thief would not be able to cause anymore pain!"

I was shocked; Celia was furious, furious with me. Suddenly, she ran up to me and pinned me against my own house. The impact caused a stream of wet snow to fall from the roof around us; soaking our hair and clothes. Normally, I would have easily been able to overpower my friend, but right then, I could not even bring myself to try.

"I almost lost him that night, Holly!" She looked me straight in the eye; we were no farther than six inches apart. "What would you say to me then, Holly, if you knew you could have saved his life?!"

I could only stand there, thrown against the wooden structure; I had no answer for my dear friend. I could only watch as she fell to her knees in the snow, and began to cry. After some time, I helped the girl up and led her into my warm house, as I knew there was nothing I could say to appease her.

I made some tea as Celia calmed herself down. When the water had boiled, I filled two mugs and placed them on the table, along with some milk and sugar. The additions were for Celia, as I only drank my tea plain. I looked down at my slowly blackening drink solemnly, hoping that my friend would do anything besides run out the door.

My friend began stirring in her sugar as she rubbed the last few tears out of her eyes. It was only after she took a delicate sip that she spoke to me again.

"I know why you can't say anything to me," Celia told me in a hoarse whisper.

I looked up at my friend as she reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a small wooden box; it looked identical to a pen case. She shoved it across the table, where it stopped perfectly at the edge in front of me.

"I've known you for a while, Holly," she began, "You have never exactly been a happy ray of sunshine."

I chuckled at her accurate description of me before she continued, "Every morning I see you trudging through the Valley; you always look so lost. Lately, though, you've been different."

Celia smiled after saying that. Confused as I was, I turned to face the girl again after taking another sip of tea.

"Your eyes have a sense of purpose, and you have a bounce in your walk that I've never seen before. Every once in a while, I'll even catch you blushing!" at this I averted my embarrassed eyes from Celia, but she simply giggled and went on, "But most of all, you've been smiling. Everywhere you've gone, and with everything you do, you have been smiling. Through the roughest snowstorm we have seen here so far, when you handed over your savings to update your ranch, even during your morning milk deliveries, you're smiling."

However, Celia's cheerful face turned to a frown, and she placed her tea down gently on its matching saucer. "I could never forgive the Phantom Thief for everything he has done; not just to me, but to the other residents of Forget-Me-Not Valley as well. However…" she paused and sighed deeply, "…if he has made you this happy, then maybe he isn't as bad as he seems."

Satisfied, she stood from the table and left my ranch. There were no goodbyes, no exchange of friendly smiles, Celia simply stood and left, closing the door behind her.

Only after she was out of sight and mind did my eyes venture to the wooden box lying on my dining table in front of me. I unhitched the two brass clasps and gasped as I opened the box.

It was a blue feather.

I pulled the precious object out of the box with utmost care. I admired the small feather with great caution, almost as though the priceless proposal gift would shatter to pieces at any given moment. Placing it back in its container, I could feel tears rising in my eyes.

"Never forget what's most important to you…" I repeated Vesta's advice out loud to myself, only before placing my head down on the rugged table, cradled in my arms.

Maybe I had made a promise that I would not be able to keep.


	9. The Escape

**Hello, World and all who inhabit it. **

**So tomorrow, I get to take my brother to college, and the next day I'm going to the beach. 8D**

**That means that I won't be around for most of next week, so in the mean time, you get this little chapter. **

**I /might/ have time to put up something tomorrow, however, I will most likely be out saying my heart-felt goodbyes to my brother as he heads off for school.**

**We'll see how it turns out. I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter, but to get there, I need to put this one up first. xP**

**I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

The wind was restless in Forget-Me-Not Valley; it shook the tallest treetops and placed their newborn buds in sudden peril.

Even the wind seemed to notice how I felt.

Somehow though, no one else did.

I was sitting by Turtle Pond; simply observing everything around me. My back rested comfortably against a shady tree as my legs stretched out into the healthy grass front of me. Many fish were jumping that day. It could have been the new spring weather, exciting the fish after the seemingly endless winter, but I felt the need to be able to relate to something that day. For that day, those fish were jumping out of confusion and panic.

I closed my eyes and let out a large sigh. The early morning after Celia had returned my sword to me, Vesta knocked on my door in frenzy. She came bearing terrible news; Marlin and Celia had left the Valley.

"No goodbyes, no hugs…" Vesta looked like she was about to break something in half, and unfortunately for me, the two closest things were my house and I. "They left with nothing besides a few scribbled words on a piece of paper! Holly… what am I going to do?"

She handed me the note with despair. It was true, the words were written messily in what appeared to be a hurried state. After taking a bit of time to figure out the almost illegible handwriting, I was able to read the paper's contents.

_Vesta,_

_We thank you for letting us work here with you and for taking care of us all of this time, but now it's time for us to live and grow together, and to really begin our lives. We hope you can manage the farm on your own._

_We love you, and will return someday. Until then, we will send you letters and gifts, but don't bother to reply to them, as we will probably have already left. _

_Best Wishes,_

_Marlin and Celia_

As I read the letter, I noticed Vesta was squinting at the back of the paper, tilting her head in an odd direction. Suddenly, her face lit up, as though she had remembered something.

"There's something on the back also," she informed me, "It's for you."

I raised my eyebrows in anticipation as I carefully turned the parchment over. There was, in fact, a note on the back written across the page diagonally. The handwriting was considerably neater, but no less hurried. It was clear that Celia had written the message.

_Holly,_

_I apologize for being so upset yesterday. However, I want you to know that I meant every word I said. You are in love with a man I can never forgive, but maybe with your help, that could change one day. _

_If I, or anybody else, is the thing keeping you from what you truly want, then I'll have you know that our opinion should not be the most important things to you. Your thoughts, your morals, I know that they are some of the things that guide your life, but really, Holly._

_Your heart is the only thing that can tell you what is important._

_So listen to it now._

_Good luck,_

_Celia_

"Hey," Vesta was grumpy as she spoke, "Why did you get a longer letter than me?!"

I smiled at Vesta's childish remark, and then replied, "I think that Celia just had a bit more to say to me, that's all."

The frightening woman swiped the note out of my hands before stomping away unhappily. I could not blame her; the two people closest to her had suddenly up and left her without a word.

However, I was almost glad that they did.

As the snow fell around me on that early winter morning, I remembered Celia's wise words.

"Maybe," I said aloud to no one in particular, "everything will be alright."

--

But that day had been weeks ago, back in the middle of winter.

There had been no word or sighting of the Phantom Thief for the entire season, leaving me thoroughly confused and rather unhappy.

I hauled a fresh bag of feed over to the last chicken coup on my ranch. My daily chores had always been a great time to fall lost in thought. I had been doing my job for seven years now, so it was not as though the motions were unfamiliar.

Skye had not been seen by anyone since I had patched him up last fall. No heists, no appearances, no word. Maybe he did not care about me in the slightest. Maybe he just used me, used me for a free medical treatment.

I tore the bag of chicken feed open far more than I intended in the midst of my frustration. It had been practically ripped in two.

"Bastard ladies man…" I growled to my chickens. In return, they stared up at me with their little black eyes as though to ask, "What did I do…?"

Suddenly, my senses all perked at once; what was that noise?

I threw the extra feed into my tool shed after running out of the chicken coup. The night had already fallen; I guessed that I had been daydreaming at the pond for far longer than I had intended. There were lights everywhere. People scattered across the valley were wielding torches, candles, and lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Some were spreading out, it seemed like there was at least one human per section of road in the Valley. The others were heading to every possible exit. Adults were climbing cliffs and ducking in bushes like I could never imagine them doing. A few guarded the dock, some were scattered about on the cliffs and high hills that could be a possible daring escape route, but the majority were grouped at the main exit road; the most obvious way out.

It was the sound of an angry mob.

Confused, I sprinted off of my farm, and it was not long before I found Ruby by the inn. She grasped a pitchfork lazily over one of her plump arms, and in the other hand held a simple lantern. Seeing my blank expression, she walked over to me, sensing my need for an explanation.

"The Inner Inn received a notice this morning," Ruby explained, "At midnight the Phantom Thief will try to rob my precious resort!"

"However," I heard another voice, a lower tone that almost seemed bored, "That won't be happening tonight." I turned to find a red-haired girl locking the door to the inn. It was a strange sight; not the girl, but the door. No one locked their doors in Forget-Me-Not Valley. That alone sent a shiver down my spine.

"Nami here thought up a plan," Ruby motioned towards the red-head, "Everyone in the Valley is in on it! Everything is guarded, there is officially no way out!"

"Tonight, we'll make sure that snake never sees the outside of a prison again," Nami announced, a small smirk crossing her face, "If you could help by making sure that he doesn't get onto your ranch, that would be great."

I could only weakly nod in response to Nami's instructions. Afterwards, I turned and walked slowly back to my home.

--

My mind was abuzz. I could not just sit there on my ranch and watch. The grandfather clock standing tiredly in my house read that it was 11:30pm.

What if the Phantom had just been using me the entire time?

What if he really was just a ladies man?

Even if I wanted to help him, there was no way for him to escape!

At that thought, I froze. My eyes wandered over to the antique trunk sitting in the corner of my house. My train of thought found itself slowly changing directions from there.

Maybe he has been using me.

Maybe he was just a ladies man.

But I realized I cared too much about him to even care.

Tonight there was only one place for him to hide, and I was the only person who could take him there.

I stood up from the table with new fight burning in my heart. Opening the antique trunk, I knew I had a mission to accomplish.

--

The night was incredibly well-lit; everyone in the Valley was carrying some kind of light.

I was sprinting across the roads with every ounce of strength I could muster. All I knew was that I had to find Skye before anybody else could.

I ran through the town square, across the bridge, to the mine area and back. It was only when I was looking around the beach did I hear the thing I least wanted to reach my ears.

"THERE HE IS!"

"BLOODY SNAKE!"

"GET HIM!!"

I cursed wildly under my breath as the citizens around me on the beach took their positions. I did the last thing I felt I could do, I ran. I ran as fast as I could towards the voices. The light dimmed as I left the beach and ran by the musician's yurt; there were surprisingly few guards in the area around the pond. It was finally in the pass between the town square and Turtle Pond did I, in a section of rare, beloved darkness, find the man who I had been looking for.

At first sight of me, Skye's eyes widened in surprise, but after noticing my lack of equipment, his body relaxed. After putting his signature smirk back on, he tried to get past me a few times until I grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him still.

"Holly…" He spoke in his usual tone of voice, however, in that desperate night, the tone seemed rough. It was as though he was forcing himself to remain calm in front of me.

"You can't go this way," I informed him calmly, though with a certain shortness of breath, "There are people everywhere. They are up on the cliffs, hiding in the bushes…" I frowned and let out a small fit of coughing, "Skye… you aren't getting out of here tonight."

He looked me in the eye, and frowned. His face was filled with something I had never seen before; defeat. "I know," he admitted, "That's why I have to hide. But first…" he glanced at my lean, worked arms holding him still, "…You have to let me go."

I thought for a moment, and remembered an event that had occurred almost a year ago, back when we had first met.

"What if I were to keep you here?" My face gave away nothing of my true intentions, "Do you remember our little bargain, Skye?"

The Phantom's eyes widened tremendously. I could even feel his pale arms shaking under my hold on him.

"Would you still hold up your end of the deal? Would you really let me ask you anything my heart desired?"

It was all the thief could do to hold my glance. "Is that what you really want?"

Slowly, I relaxed my grip on the man, until I let go of his arms completely.

"No," I shook my head, "Because your eyes just answered my question."

Skye looked away from me; I would even go as far to say that he did so in shame. It took an angry mob for the two of us to remember what we were doing concealed in the shadow of an overpass.

"Where did he go?!"

"The son-of-a-bitch couldn't have gotten far!! KEEP LOOKING!"

I looked the man in front of me straight in the eye and offered my hand.

"There is no where for me to hide, Holly," The great Phantom Thief found only defeat ahead of him.

I shook my head at the defeated man, and asked him one more question.

"Do you trust me?"

After a brief hesitation, Skye he placed his hand in mine, and in doing so, trusted me with his future.

Letting the warmth fill my chest, I reached around my neck to remove the key to my plot; the Necklace of Teleportation.

"I need you to hold on to me," I instructed the Phantom, "and promise me that you will never let go."

He smiled with hope at the sight of the magical charm in my hands. "So I'm not the only one with a trick or two up my sleeve in this Valley…" To my great surprise, a slight blush crossed his face as he spoke, which he put forth no effort into hiding. Finally, he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, holding me close to prepare for whatever came next.

Grasping the lilac gem in both of my hands, I closed my eyes and clearly imagined where I wanted to go. After another second, the two of us were surrounded by a ring of pale green light before we vanished together into the night.


	10. The Past, the Present, and

**Hey world! Haha, I managed to get one more chapter out there before leaving. Yay.**

**Anyways, as the title of this chapter suggests, you get to hear a bit about the past in order to learn more about the present. Spiffy, right? Good. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

**Another large thanks goes out to everyone reading my little story, and an even LARGER thanks goes to those gracious enough to review. Reviews and criticism are still greatly appreciated, as, even though this is the tenth chapter, it is still my first ever fanfic. XP**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

It was only after the pale green light vanished completely that I opened my eyes again. Immediately, a wave of disorientation flooded my senses; my ears rang loudly, and my vision became badly obscured. After a second of blind stumbling, however, the sensation left me in peace.

I really hated using that necklace; it had nasty side effects. The very first time I used it I passed out, only to wake up the next day incredibly dizzy with a terrible sense of nausea. As I felt Skye's arms loosen around me, I figured that he was in the middle of experiencing the bitter end of the magical aftereffects. Thinking quickly, I spun around, and managed to catch the unconscious thief before he collapsed onto the floor.

Hauling the thin man onto my back, I carried him a brief ways before setting him against an unnaturally smooth wall. It was only then that I turned to admire my surroundings. It was a darkened area; the entire passage was lit only by a single lantern. As I walked, my feet were cushioned by soft, fertile soil with every step I took. I proceeded to the end of the passageway, if anything, only to admire the waterfall, and how we were finally safe.

I had taken the Phantom Thief to my secret place, the cave behind the waterfall.

A light groan was emitted from the unconscious man lying further in the cavern. At the sound of it, I turned to find Skye slowly opening his eyes. However, they immediately formed into a tense squint, as one of his pale hands rushed to his head. I was surprised that he had come around so quickly, but at the same time, I figured that a thief would typically have a better sense of balance than a little rancher.

"Holly…" Skye spoke only to find repercussions to the action. His hand tightened around his forehead; I could almost see it pulsating with pain.

I decided to save the poor man the trouble of asking, and retreated back to where he was to give an explanation.

"You're safe here," I told him what he most likely wanted to hear first before continuing, "This is my private sanctuary; it is a place that no one in Forget-Me-Not Valley knows about."

Watching the Phantom trying to massage his head prompted me on what to tell him next. "The pain you are feeling is only a side effect of the teleportation process. You will probably be fine within the hour or so, but-…"

"Holly," Skye cut me off, squinting at the pain once again, but he seemed prepared for it, "You saved me."

"…don't push yourself…" I finished my sentence with great confusion.

"…And it seems that here, in your little cavern," As he spoke, he attempted to push himself into the standing position with assistance from the cave wall, "We…"

Unfortunately, that was as far as the thief got before losing his balance once again. Expectant, I caught him easily and returned him to his original slouching position. Letting out a sigh, the man continued speaking. "…It seems we have a bargain to settle."

If I had looked confused just the moment previous, it was nothing compared to the blank face I gave Skye after he spoke.

"If I am not mistaken," he explained, "Our deal was that if you could catch me, then you could ask any question your heart desired."

I still struggled to follow the Phantom's train of thought.

"You have taken me, during an attempted heist, to a place where there is no apparent safe escape from, and to tie it all together," Skye was smiling broadly as he spoke, "You have left me in a state where I cannot even stand…" That was enough; he fell into an embarrassed fit of laughter.

"Wow…" I could only stare at the thief with genuine interest. He truly wanted me to ask him something, that much was clear. "You have a rather twisted concept of the world…"

"That I do," the man managed to get out in the end of his laughter, "Now then… I may be a slimy thief, but I always keep a deal, so… go ahead; ask away."

He directed me with a casual wave of his hand, beckoning me to question him, as I had during our entire year together. I walked over to where Skye was resting against the wall, and, after slowly sliding down the dark wall, took a seat next to him. Turning my head, I looked the Phantom in the eye, and knew exactly what I needed to ask.

"All this time I've wanted to know what you were so afraid of," I admitted my intentions to him before reaching my point, "But I realized tonight that you are terrified of losing your freedom."

Skye nodded as I spoke. His smile was gone and his eyes had thinned. Even he realized that the time for joking and being sneaky had passed, it was finally right for him to be serious.

"That leads me to my real question then," I concluded, "If you are so afraid to lose your freedom, why do you steal?"

A lock of silver hair fell into the Phantom's face as he turned away from me. I assumed that he was observing the lantern light flicker and dance along the cavern walls, but his shining hair hid his eyes from view.

In that moment, I thought that Skye would not answer me at all. It was obviously a topic he was uncomfortable discerning with people. In that moment, I honestly would have not been surprised if the thief popped up onto his feet, good as new, and ran out of the cavern, leaping into the river in order to escape. In that moment, I feared that every negative opinion I had held of the man might have been true. That was, until he gently shoved his hair out of his face, and began to tell his story.

"This is a rather lengthy tale, and one I thoroughly dislike reliving," Skye explained, "So get comfortable, and be thankful that you are no one besides yourself. After all, there is no one else I would tell this story to."

A large blush filled my face as the Phantom began, "I grew up in the city, as many people have. My mother died when I was very little, so I was left to live with my father."

Skye let out a sigh before continuing, "We were very poor, and it was hard to live from day to day. Even still, because of our harsh conditions, my father and I grew very close. We were best friends, and I looked up to him with great respect. He was a good man; the most honest I have ever known. One night, however…" his eyes drifted away from mine, as though ashamed once again, "My father ran to me, extremely happy, proclaiming, 'Son, everything will be better from now on!' And at the time, I believed him. I believed him with all of my heart."

"At first, my father's words seemed truthful enough. We suddenly had a decent place to live, food to eat, and even money left over. It was a blissfully happy time, until the day that I realized that I did not know how we were able to afford the luxuries we owned. When I asked my father, he never answered me; he would only make an excuse and walk away. Slowly but surely from that day, my trust in him began to fade. Every day, he took me aside and taught me a strange new skill. The first day it was lock picking, the next how to walk stealthily, without noise. Many times he gave me various maps and diagrams, and then ordered me to memorize them and recreate them either on paper or with words."

"With the strange lessons and his abnormal behavior, my father began to concern me more and more until one night, he never came home. Several days later, the phone rang; it was the police. They had arrested my father for thievery."

Skye must have noticed the shock in my eyes, as he briefly stopped speaking. He took a deep breath and gazed at the cavern wall across from him, "However, I still had faith in my father. I remembered the man he once was, and because of that, I refused to believe the authorities. Immediately I sprinted to the station, only to have every bit of hope left in me crushed."

"For the next four years, I watched my father slowly rot in jail," The man's eyes narrowed in recollection, "Each time I visited, he had less life, less hope, less love for the world… and for me. I began dreading the weekly stops by my father's prison cell, but I kept going, if anything only for the person who used to thrive in that man's empty shell."

"When I was fourteen, I arrived at the prison for a regular visit. The moment I was within reach, however, my father grabbed me violently by the collar, and pulled my body forcefully against the iron bars which separated us. It was the first time since his arrest that I was truly able to see him for what he had become; a corpse. Only a skeleton was visible through the man's skin, and his eyes had sunk backwards into his bald head. His lips were peeling, and his teeth were gone. Patches of dry, infected skin were scaled everywhere, from his face to the hands that kept me lost in the horrible sight of the man in front of me. He leaned as close as he could to me, so that his face made contact with the cold metal boundary between us. As he opened his mouth, he exhaled a breath of air, one that I could only describe to smell of death. All I knew was that I did not know the man in front of me. I was scared, horrified even."

"He took one of his scaled hands and gripped my face, pinching my cheeks. Holding me terrifyingly close, he spoke in a voice that had deformed to almost a growl, and said to me, 'Skye! Promise me that you will never fall to where I am now. I have taught you to become a thief, now use your god-given talent to stay as free as possible. Never make a commitment, and never trust your life to someone. You need to know, my boy, everyone in this world is a thief, and they will steal your life away if you give them the chance. THEY DID IT TO ME! JUST LOOK AT ME NOW, SKYE! Swear to me, my son, that you will keep your most important possession safe, no matter what. Swear to me, that you will never lose your freedom, because after that, nothing else matters.'"

Skye held the wall once again, and made another attempt to stand on his own. "I went home that night not having any idea what my father meant. However, I figured it out on my own the next time I went to visit him. I entered the prison to find my father's cell empty. An officer then approached me, informing me that he had passed away. When I asked what had happened, he ignored me."

"I was tired of being ignored, of being left out of the loop. I felt that I deserved to know exactly what had been happening, so I went to find out myself. I ran back to my father's cell, but what I found did not please me. The iron bars of the cell were bent awkwardly out of shape, and the floor had been permanently stained by blood."

On his own feet at last, Skye turned to me, but I was terrified to see rage in his eyes, "My father had committed suicide, Holly. He lost his freedom, and after that, nothing mattered," I watched his fists clench tightly, "He was a good man, but losing one thing changed everything about him. It destroyed my father!" Before I knew it, the Phantom's voice had risen to a terrifying volume, "HE CRUSHED HIS OWN SKULL AGAINST THE BARS OF HIS PRISON CELL!"

My eyes were wide with fear and pity for the man in front of me. He was so angry, so troubled, and yet, he hid it so well. He distanced people so greatly so that they would never know his true feelings. It was astounding, the lengths he went to in hiding his emotions. "To support myself, I turned to the only thing I knew how to do. I used my 'god-given talent'; I became a thief."

"At first, it was fun. I felt the adrenaline, the rush of the moment, and the feeling of great pride after a successful raid. But like the happiness of my childhood, it did not last long. One night, the police found me, and I had no choice but to leave the city. I left behind everything I knew, and I simply ran, blinded with fear. I realized then, that it was too late for me. I couldn't do anything in life besides steal what other people owned. This left me with only one option, even to this day; I had to keep stealing."

Skye groaned, and placed his hands over his face. "I can't even sleep at night. Every noise wakes me up, each time my entire body tenses in anticipation. I spent the entire winter running. I ran out of fear, but every time, I was running from nothing at all…"

He slammed an angry fist into the cave wall, and continued in a hushed voice, almost a mumble, "My father… Who would choose to go in such a way? Why?"

The Phantom fell to a sitting position with his back against the wall. His eyes were emotionless; the sheer remembrance of his past had drained him completely.

"Skye…" I whispered his name. It was the name of a man who was completely different than the one I used to know.

"So what's your story?" The Phantom turned to face me, "Why are you who you are today? The cynical little ranch girl?"

I looked down at my feet in front of me, and in thought, I laughed.

Now it was Skye who was confused.

"If you want to hear some sob-story about my terrible, revolutionary past," I shook my head, "You aren't going to get one."

It was my turn to stand up. I casually brushed the dirt off of my pants and faced my one-man audience; Skye was all ears.

"I grew up in the city as well," I began, "My parents divorced when I was young, and I lived with my well-off, upper-middle-class mother. My father left to do what he wanted to do; run the ranch here in Forget-Me-Not Valley."

"After my freshman year in college, I got a letter. It turned out that my father had passed away from illness, and in his will, he left the ranch to me. Out of curiosity, I left home during that summer and went to visit the Valley. Obviously, I never went back."

"Getting to be successful was not a walk in the park, however. Even with Takakura's help, it took me a week to figure out that you could not milk a cow through its butt. And by the time I learned how to milk a cow correctly, that cow was so angry at me for trying to milk her anus for seven days that she refused to let me near her at all!" At this, even Skye could not suppress a sliver of a smile, "Once I got to that point, though, it only became easier. So here I am today."

"But wait," the Phantom turned to me, still rather confused, "Why did you stay here? In the city, your life was great. You were in college, you had your entire future ahead of you, you could have been…"

Skye paused, leaving me to fill in the blank, "I could have been free?"

I caught his nod, and corrected the man, "No, I was never free in that city. Everyone had already pre-determined my life there. They left me with nothing to do but wonder along the brightly-lit road to my future like a mindless member of the masses."

"A wise friend once told me that I could only trust myself to tell me what the most important thing was. To be honest, that's the only reason I know that being here, in this Valley, in this hidden cavern, sharing life stories with a Phantom Thief, is what I'm supposed to be doing now."

I offered a hand to help Skye onto his feet, and said, "That friend taught me to trust myself, and to believe in what I truly wanted." He accepted my help and pulled himself to his feet. As he looked me in the eye, I concluded, saying, "Maybe now it's your turn to find what is most important to you."

The Phantom only smiled and turned away from me after I finished. Slowly, he meandered to the mouth of the cavern, and peered down into the river below. As I knew, the drop was not terrible, about 25 feet, perhaps even less, into the deep, clouded river below. After a good minute of silence, Skye turned back to look at me. I constantly found it difficult to pinpoint what occurred in the mind of that sly man, but when the combination of his signature mischievous smile and a blush appeared on his face, I was at a total loss.

"The mob seems to have dispersed," he informed me, "I believe it's time for us to go."

"Oh, yes," My reply was simple. I tried to keep my disappointment from showing, but even I knew that I had failed in that aspect. "Well, I'll get the necklace-…"

"Wait!" Skye interrupted me, his smile only growing larger, "I think I know of another way out of here, and it will probably be much more… enjoyable… hehehe…"

With his typical chuckle in tow, I should have realized something was up. I approached the mouth of the cavern where the Phantom stood, disbelief spread vibrantly across my face. To my surprise, he offered his hand to me.

"Will you place your future in my hands, Holly?"

At that moment, a small portion of my mind told me every reason not to trust Skye, including why not to accept his hand and see where he would take me. However, that was only a small portion of my mind. The rest of my mind, along with the entirety of my body, was already reaching out to take the man's hand.

The moment the Phantom had a firm grip on me, he ran forward and leapt out of the cavern, pulling me with him. Together, we flew through the waterfall, into the night, and fell hand-in-hand into the river below. Submerged, Skye tugged gently on my hand, pulling me closer to him until our bodies were pressed together. He placed his free hand around my neck, and caressed it gently, soothingly.

The gesture was a shock to me, because of it I opened my eyes beneath the chilled water only to meet Skye's own. We were so close together; our faces were hardly inches apart. Though the water was thick, I could still see the emotion filling his eyes; they were relaxed, gentle, welcoming, and full of great warmth. I knew then that I wanted to be in his eyes. I knew more than anything that I wanted to be with Skye.

It was then that I finally let the remaining distance between us and our lips close.

And finally, after a year of unanswered questions, trickery, magic, and lies,

We kissed.


	11. The Future

**Hey world. 8D I'm back from the beach, and after a quick break, I actually have a new part. Yippee!**

**Anyways, this chapter is a bit different, again. The first half is Skye's POV, then when you see the familiar little...**

**-o-o-o-**

**...break, the POV switches to back to Holly. Fascinating, right? Yeah, not so much.**

**Anyways, another huge thanks for everyone who read and reviewed while I was away. It really does make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. However, I stress again that if you catch me doing anything wrong, I really would enjoy knowing about it. xD I may not put your names up here for the world to see, but I do reply to and greatly appreciate every review I receive. **

**In short, reviews and criticism are extremely welcome. **

**Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter! D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

"What the hell am I doing?"

I could not help but ask the question to the night air surrounding me. Coincidentally, the wind suddenly picked up, tossing my silver hair into my eyes and across my face, as though giving me a reply. I quickly cleared my vision and sat down in frustration and annoyance; it seemed that even nature was confused at my thoughts and emotions. After all, I, the Phantom Thief Skye, had never been one to attach myself to anything or anyone.

But she was more than just anyone or anything…

I knew Holly's type; cold, unwelcoming, unwilling to let most people close to her. However, there I was, finding sanity and refuge in that same person.

She was cold, but at the same time, I had never felt such warmth.

Sure, I remembered my first heist; the adrenaline, the overwhelming high of success. I always believed that to be my proudest moment in my life, but really, even that could not compare to the tension and heat I felt in my chest.

My hands rested on the jagged rock below me. I was sitting against a mountain ledge, one leading out of Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was supposed to be trekking back to my 'home', per-say, but if the noises I heard the previous night were real, then I would have nothing to return to.

I only sighed at the realization; I had nothing material to lose anyways. I always buried my loot in various hiding places, ones I chose carefully for their inaccessibility, and that meant that my few other possessions were in my make-shift tent, along with my other homemade gadgetries. Early on in my career, I had discovered that homemade tools and accessories were generally a good decision because of one simple fact; you could always make them again.

Assuming I had nothing to return to, I turned my gaze upon the natural scenery around me. I had heard people say that everything looks different at night, and I would have to agree. However, as I narrowed my eyes, I found that in the dark of night, everything was simpler and more distinct. Decisions were easier to make in the night; do you go this way or that? Up or down? Do you hide here or there? Perhaps I only thought from my years of experience in the shadows, but that was my own opinion.

Try as hard as the moon and stars did, they only managed to illuminate the very tips of the trees below the mountain pass I was on. The forest was thick; I could not even spot the common roadway through the canopy of leaves and branches, even though I knew it was there.

My train of thought was again interrupted by a brief gust of wind, which, almost teasingly, shot my hair back into my face. I could not help but let a small groan escape as I unsuccessfully attempted to flick my hair out of the way. When that did not work, I used both of my hands to shake my hair rapidly into position. Well, a position that was not in my face, anyways. Truthfully, it was probably a mess, and the thought of that made me feel like twitching uncomfortably.

Frowning, I leaned backwards until I was lying on the rocky pathway entirely. I closed my eyes, re-living the evening I had just previously experienced; my second unsuccessful raid, the escape, our talk, and then, of course, the kiss.

It had almost been a truly wonderful night, a perfect night, even. But in the end, it had only left me with uncertainty, and a daunting sense of humility.

And again, those were two things that the Phantom Thief Skye never felt.

--

It was a few hours past midnight when I clambered, rather ungracefully, out of the river.

My hair fell knotted and in bunches in front of my eyes. For once, however, I barely noticed. Instead, I was exhilarated. I shoved my dull hair out of my face to find that Holly had already pulled herself out of the chilled waters. Even though I felt like an awkward teenager, her eyes latched onto mine as though I were the graceful, mysterious thief I made myself out to be. She removed the rubber band from her hair and it fell slightly past her shoulders in shimmering brown waves. Compared to the tired, disoriented girl I had first met, that night, Holly was a beautiful woman.

I began walking over to her, shedding my leopard-print shirt in the process. The water had destroyed the threading in the delicate fabric, so that was as fine a time to lose it as any. As I threw my soiled clothing on the ground, however, I found something; a damp wooden case was shimmering in the tall river weeds. Picking the container up, I realized that it practically radiated a sense of fragility. It was as though if I even tried to dry it off, whatever was inside would fall to a million pieces. Carefully opening the case, I could feel my eyes widen at the sight of its contents.

It was a blue feather.

"Oh!" Holly noticed what I was holding and quickly reached for it, "Sorry, but that's mine."

I could only stare at her in shock. The heat and excitement in my chest was extinguished immediately.

"A-Are you engaged?" I stuttered. So much of me dreaded the possible answer.

"No," her response was simple, as though she thought I could care less. She easily took the case from my unresponsive hands and carefully placed the feather into one of her pants pockets. Afterwards, her eyes turned to my face, and a large blush bloomed on her cheeks.

"Is… something wrong?" She asked. I finally noticed that my mouth had dropped open; yet another thing that the Phantom Thief Skye never did. Closing it quickly, I found myself blushing as well, possibly even more brightly than the woman standing across from me.

"Ah, no," I replied, forcing a smile, "Nothing at all."

Apparently my smile had been too forced, however, as Holly only continued to appear unconvinced.

"I should be going," I told her at last, breaking the awkward silence, "I believe I am the least welcome person in this Valley, after all, hehe…"

I managed a chuckle, which finally made Holly smile. Relief filled me at the sight of her satisfaction.

"Alright," Her response was simple, and it was all I wanted to hear. With that, I ran as fast as I could out of the Valley, hoping to get as far away as I could.

Honestly, I was fairly certain that Holly could sense my moments of weakness.

--

_She has a blue feather._

I could be for me…

_It isn't._

How do you know?

As I have lived alone, there have been a few times (_very _few), where I have felt the need to consult someone about an issue. In the end, I always found myself debating both sides in my head, weighing the options on my own. Really though, never before had there been a time that I missed having company as much as then.

_Well, you are a bit full of yourself..._

Though quite handsome.

_There you go. Get some humility, Mr. "Phantom Thief"._

Aw, you do not like the name? I'm crushed.

_Just think about it; there are so many better options for Holly than you._

Name one.

_What about that Elvis-guy?_

I thought he was taken?

_How about that archaeologist?_

I take it as an insult that you believe he is a more suited bachelor.

_He has more friends than you._

Dammit.

I was getting no where fast. If anything, I was sinking deeper into an already dismal pit. Slamming my head against the rock floor, I tried forcing my brain into action. I needed to think the situation through; what was causing my misery? The answer was obvious; Holly's feather. From there, I found that it was a simple matter of subtraction. If I took away the feather, I took away the problem.

_You could get caught. The Valley is on full watch for you now, you know that. You shouldn't even be close to that place._

The opposing side of the argument was right; returning to Forget-Me-Not Valley now, so soon after the latest mob scene, would be suicide. But that blue feather, if Holly were to marry… what would I do then?

_You can't do this! What about everything you have? Everything you've lived for? What about your freedom?!_

…But what about Holly?

It was then that I realized that I had been wrong. The great Phantom Thief Skye had been wrong. I realized that almost everything in my life had been wrong.

I sat up and gazed into the oncoming dawn. With the breaching day, I realized what I had to do. Unfortunately, however, I did not have much time to do it.

Finally, I had discovered what was truly important to me.

There was one thing that I feared more than losing my precious freedom.

It was losing her.

-o-o-o-

I did not even remember walking home the previous night.

I felt like I was in a dream; a surreal, perfect world. The only thing that I could think about was Skye and the night we had. He had told me everything, trusted me, maybe more than he had trusted anyone before. So much of me could not believe what had happened.

And then that kiss…

I curled into a tight ball in happiness as I reminisced, but the sensation did not thrive long. The sun had barely climbed above the horizon when I heard Takakura's voice booming through the wooden walls.

"Holly!" he shouted, "The sun is about to rise! Get up!"

With a groan of laziness and fatigue, I sat myself up. It was time to return to the real world I lived in; one of work and tiring, long, hot days. Shoving the covers off of my body, I changed and prepared to deliver milk.

My mind gave me little peace that morning, however. Now that my little happy moment of bliss had ended, the doubt I experienced the day before returned with double the force.

"He probably does that with every girl he meets…" I pondered aloud, "And if he kissed me, I don't want to know how far he goes with the pretty ones."

My wagon bounced wildly over the rough, pebble-lined pathway as I tugged it behind me. I performed the route as usual, trying to keep my overwhelming feeling of worry out of my facial expression as I met people face-to-face. However, it was not long before I found myself unable to do so, and I began thinking aloud more and more the farther I led my wooden wagon.

"He's such a ladies man!" I did not even realize that I was almost shouting, "Why did I even fall for his tricks?! I'm such an idiot!"

"You're an idiot for shouting at six in the morning," Vesta's voice made me jump, "But other than that I haven't got the slightest clue what you're blabbering about."

I hung my head in embarrassment.

"You're a bit caught up in things, aren't ya?" She said. Her voice was sympathetic.

"Yeah, a bit," I confirmed unenthusiastically.

"Do you miss Celia?"

I stood frozen in my boots for a second. Celia, I had forgotten that she had even left.

"I do now," was my truthful reply. I realized that I needed my best friend then more than ever, but she had her own life to live.

With that, Vesta simply took her milk and went inside the house. The once frightening, respectful woman, I realized, was now hunched over, hanging in pain and loneliness. The farm had ended up being too much of a hassle for Vesta to manage every day. She cut her duties slightly, but she was losing her strength to a one-sided battle with age and depression. The few crops that the farm actually managed to produce were less firm and of lower quality. It was as though the life the farm once held left with the young newly weds.

After a final look, I could only look down at my shoes at what Celia and Marlin had left behind; a dying farm led by a broken woman.

--

When I finished my route, I packed everything away and stood in my grazing field, staring up at the sky.

Many things had changed in the year since I first encountered the Phantom Thief; some for the worse, some for the better.

Still I worried though, had he just been playing me the entire time? Could I have really been so stupid? So shallow not to see through his little spells and tricks?

I slammed the front door to my house in anger; of course my perfect little world could never exist. I would never deserve such a thing.

But then what did it mean when I found a certain piece of parchment folded on my dining table?

I stopped dead in my tracks when my eyes spotted it. I did not move. I did not want to move. In the end, however, I knew it was futile to resist. My curiosity, my infatuation, it was far too strong to put a wall up against.

Eagerly I opened the letter, and my eyes grew wide at what it said.

_Dearest Holly,_

_I found myself with a bit of a problem last night, and it was that I did not know what was truly important to me. However, I have taken time to myself, and thought over everything that has held great meaning for me. It all led to one decision._

_Tonight, I will let myself into your house to perform my final heist. At midnight, I will come to steal your heart._

_Until then, have a pleasant day._

_Love,_

_Skye_

I grasped the note tightly in my hands; as though I was desperate to make sure it existed. My entire body was shaking, from what exactly, I was not entirely sure. I almost collapsed into the nearest dining chair. As I clasped onto the back of it with my hands, attempting to calm myself, I knew that only one thing was clear.

I had quite a decision to make.


	12. The Feather

**Hey world! After much, much, much, _much_ delay, I finally found the inner willpower to finish my little tale. I put up this chapter and the epilogue at the same time, well, because I felt a very strong need to just wrap it up all at once. **

**I owe everyone an enormous apology for taking so long to update. I'd say I got caught up in life, but I didn't, so that would just be lying. I guess all I can really say was that I had so much trouble thinking of a way to really end this story. This was the best I could come up with, and I hope it works to satisfy.**

**With this and the epilogue, my first fanfic/longfic is officially complete. Wow!**

**One final note, remember that the -o-o-o- break means that the viewpoint changes! **

**ConCrit and Comments are both still extremely appreciated.**

**So without further delay (thank god...), here is the final official chapter of The Bargain.**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

_Knock-knock-knock_

My eyes shot open; my senses were suddenly alert.

After lifting my head and glancing like a frightened chipmunk around the interior of my house, I realized that I must have passed out. My neck was painfully stiff along with the remainder of my limbs. I guess I deserved that much after falling unconscious in a dinning chair, though. I raised a hand to my head instinctively; it was throbbing.

_Knock-knock-knock_

The door; I needed to answer the door.

My legs, however, did not compensate for this need. In my first attempt to rise to my feet, I only stumbled backwards into the chair I had fallen unconscious in. I was soaked in sweat; my working shirt clung with vigor to my damp skin. After succeeding in standing up, I realized just how unkempt my appearance was. My hair was a mess, my clothes were sweat-stained, and…

…I was still holding that letter.

_Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!!_

I needed to hide the letter.

Luckily, my body seemed to understand and appreciate this need. Rushing to my nightstand, I hid the letter underneath my journal and other various photographs. Satisfied, I finally answered the door.

"Oh! We were just about to knock again!"

Muffy told me this with a large smile going from cheek to cheek. Behind her was Griffin, who was dutifully clutching her hand. The gesture made me realize that the two bar tenders had gotten together. I found myself smiling at the new development; it was unsurprising, though something new and welcome. Honestly, the two looked adorable together.

The thing I could not figure out was why they were standing at my door.

Muffy's smile only grew larger before she spoke again, "Holly! We're having a fiesta!!"

Well, that answers that.

"What m'lady is tryin' to say," Griffin attempted to put Muffy's thought process into reasonable terms. "…is that the Blue Bar is having a fund-raiser. We're goin' to try and raise some money so that we can get ourselves back in business!"

I could feel the grin on my own face growing larger. If there was anything I needed right now it was a friend I could speak honestly to, but a nice drink was a close second.

"What can I do to help?" I replied, smiling myself.

"Really, we're just going around telling people about the event," Muffy informed me, "All you need to do is come, donate some money, and support the cause!"

"It'll be tonight at six-thirty," Griffin finished, "We hope to see you in the town square!"

And with that, the couple merrily bounded away, seeking out their next victim.

--

"A fund raiser couldn't possibly last five and a half hours, right?"

My chickens were receiving a break, as instead of ranting to them, I had turned to my ram. Hey, at least he was male. After all, he might have been able to give me better advice than my ewe.

"So I should still be able to get home afterwards in time to meet…" My own breath got caught in my throat, as I found I could barely even say his name. "…Skye."

I decided to attempt an optimistic approach, as unlike me as it was. "Maybe everything will go smoothly! Maybe I can go to the party, have a blast, the Blue Bar will come back, and then I can meet S-…Skye for my happily-ever-after!"

I had even thrown on a false smile to match my equally fake optimism. However, as my ram found greater interest in the cobwebs on the ceiling rafters than my life problems, I realized that my feeble attempt had been hopeless.

I let out a sigh, and concluded, "Life never quite works that way, does it?"

The pile of wood beneath me cracked and creaked in protest as I sat upon it. Eventually, the heap crumpled all together; the logs and planks broke and rolled off in various directions. With my legs spread-eagle, my eyes staring ahead of me in moderate shock, and my rear-end flat on the dusty barn floor, my ram turned and plodded away. Obviously, he had given up on my case.

Picking myself up, I brushed the dust off of my clothes and attempted to re-handle my grasp on reality.

I would just have to take the night as it came. That seemed to have worked so far in my life.

But what was I going to say to him?

What was I going to do?

--

Apparently, I was going to watch the Valley-dwellers chug drinks of every kind at a fiesta.

The town square was alive with people and brilliantly lit. Strands of lights were hung from every imaginable surface, along with banners and signs. Wooden stands were spread throughout the area, each selling the same thing; drinks. Lots and lots of drinks.

In an attempt to prevent anyone from wondering why I was not drinking, I had snatched an empty stein and feigned a sip out of it every-so-often. I stood near the edge of the party, as they say, out of sight and out of mind, simply making sure to throw more money in the donation basket each time it came by.

As much self-restraint as it required, I knew that this was one night I could not be drunk. Though, watching couples, young and old, dancing bubbly as though they were teenagers at prom made the thought of a friendly buzz more than appealing.

I took a glance at the large, standing clock erected in the middle of the party; it read 11:30. With a smile, I placed my empty drink down and began to walk the short distance back to my house.

"HEY, HOLLY!"

Unfortunately, I was interrupted.

"Where ya goin', Holly?"

"The fun has just begun!!"

I looked warily to find the fireworks makers half-running half-stumbling at me, mugs full-to-bursting with drink.

"Come'on, girly," said the first.

"Have a sip!" laughed the second.

Feeling uneasy, I turned to continue my walk back, only to find I was being boxed in. Gustafa led a small mob coming toward me.

"Take it easy, girl," he cooed. "You're always so uptight, you know? We all just want you to relax..."

I finally put on, what I had hoped to be was a smug expression, and replied, "Sorry, guys, not tonight. I've got to go."

To my great surprise, my response seemed to have worked, as everyone stopped their mob-assault-like movements. I learned, however, that it was not me who stopped them, but Vesta. She had bolted into the square, sweating profusely, but glowing with excitement.

"Celia and Marlin are coming!!"

At this, I froze along with the rest of the crowd. My jaw dropped and hung impolitely for who-knows-how-long, until I managed to summon the decency to pull it back.

There was no way I could leave now. Marlin and Celia were there, they were coming; I could talk to Celia again! I could drink and relax and be merry and have a wonderful night! I could…

…But optimism really was not for me.

I shot a glance at the clock again; 11:50. I had to go, immediately.

I tried to run through the mob in front of me, but they were as solid as a wall, pushing me backwards. Nameless people began shouting at me; voices rang out from every direction.

"Holly! Marlin and Celia are coming back! Don't you want to see them?"

I wanted to see them so badly. I did want to stay. I wanted to see them together and happy and safe.

"Have you even had a drink yet?"

I had not had a single drink, as much as I craved one. Heaven knew that it would not take much to shove my willpower aside.

"What are you doing, Holly? What's wrong with you?"

What was wrong with me?!

I felt dizzy; my hand clutched my forehead. "I just… I'm sorry."

"Everything will be fine! Everything will be just like it always was!"

Just like it always was?

No. Nothing will ever be like it was before.

Dizziness was beginning to consume me. I suddenly could not see, then the shouting ceased, as though I had gone deaf as well. The world around me had disappeared, and all was black.

Why was the decision so difficult? It would be so easy to stay! So easy to let myself fall into the comforts of the old Valley life I knew so well. It would be so easy to shove all of my problems and challenges aside, to embrace intoxication and the warmth of good friends.

So why could I not accept that?

Because I did not want everything to be exactly like it was before.

Because of Skye…

I felt myself falling forward, until I blacked out entirely.

--

I awoke to darkness.

It was engulfing; I could not even make out the interior of my house.

Wait, I thought, my house?

I sat up quickly and tensely in bed, and turned to face the old clock by the headboard.

2:45.

No…

My feet hit the cool floorboards below me; everything was surreal. This could not be right. I could not have just missed him, could I have?

I grasped the clock with my hands; my eyes were filled with desperation as I read the time over and over again. I followed the second hand as it rotated obliviously around the face of the clock. Before I knew it, I was shaking the wooden structure vehemently, enraged.

"DAMN IT!" I screamed, "DAMN IT ALL!!"

I threw the clock on the floor where it crashed, the echo reverberating throughout the house. The glass over the metal pendulum shattered, pieces scattered dangerously across the wooden floor of my house. The face of the clock came loose entirely; the hands fell onto the floor and landed askew to each other, no longer having any meaning. The familiar ticks of the dying clock slowed, until they ceased altogether.

The clock was broken.

I curled up next to the wooden structure and silently cried. I cried for everything and everyone. I cried in apology to Marlin and Celia; for not being there to greet them in their return to the Valley. I cried for the months I had known Skye, and for everyone whom he had hurt.

Mostly though, I cried for myself. My tears were of self-pity, for being as stupid and ridiculous as I was.

My tears slowed, however, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You know," a familiar voice said, "you can always buy a new clock."

The voice was smooth, but dangerous at the same time. Like the rhythmic hiss of a snake, but also with the texture of velvet.

The darkness may have been engulfing, but I could still see the light shining off of the silver hair of the man comforting me.

It was all I needed to make the tears come faster.

"Hey now," the man placed a thin hand beneath my chin, holding my head up. "I've been waiting for you to wake up for two hours. We can't have any more of this, alright?"

In one flowing movement, he gently pulled the back of my head towards his until our lips were pressed together for a glorious, romantic kiss.

When we broke apart, I wiped the tears from my eyes. I knew that everything would be alright. I knew exactly what I had to do that night.

"Skye…" I whispered, "Thank you."

-o-o-o-

By the time Holly had calmed down, the night had grown late. I would have known the exact time, but the clock had been permanently disabled just a few hours previous.

My heart was beating profusely; I could not say that I had ever felt such a state of nervousness before, even during my many heists.

Heist… yes.

I tossed my silver hair back with one of my hideously pale hands; I had almost forgotten that I had a job to do.

I stood from my chair at the simple, yet oddly pleasant dining table and began subtly scoping the house. The longer I looked, however, the more desperation threatened to re-take my mind. I had to find it. Where was it? I needed it. It had to be here somewhere.

Where was that blue feather?!

I turned to find Holly looking at me quizzically. "Skye?" She asked gently, "…May I ask what's wrong?"

I caught myself with a panicked, rather desperate expression on my face, and quickly attempted to change it. I tried to summon a reply, "Ah… n-nothing."

Obviously, I had failed in every aspect.

I needed a cover, something that would answer why I had been almost digging through her drawers and closets.

"I was just wondering…" My mind suddenly blanked as I came to a silent pause. Shit! Come on, Skye, think! "…Where your curry powder is?"

I was about to gauge my eyes out with one of the broken shards of glass; what the hell did I just say?

Holly's expression did not change, but she answered regardless, motioning towards the kitchen. "In the pantry… I can make us some curry, if you want?"

"N-No!" My response came all too quickly, "It's fine! Just. Fine."

I did not deserve to be called a Phantom Thief.

Shaking my head in an attempt to re-focus myself, I continued my search in a much more restrained method. Unfortunately, no matter what, the feather was no where to be found.

I broke out in a cold sweat out of sheer desperation.

The blue feather had to be there.

It had to be.

It could not be gone!

She could not have given it away!

"Where is your blue feather!?"

I froze; my eyes widened and the hairs on my arms stood on end.

"Hehehe… Did I just say that out loud?"

I was sure that if you looked closely, you could see the corner of my mouth twitching in fury through my cocky smile.

"Yes," Holly responded, nodding teasingly. "Yes you did."

The Phantom Thief Skye, losing every amount of wit he ever had to the presence of a woman. I now needed to find a particularly large, sharp piece of glass and shove it up my…

"Actually, I'm sorry, Skye, but I need to set something straight."

I turned to face Holly, who had interrupted my train of thought.

"No matter how hard you try tonight, you can't steal my feather."

My entire body had turned cold as I stared blankly at her. I stumbled backwards, almost falling over the broken debris which littered the floor. I could not believe it, I refused to believe it.

The blue feather was gone.

I had lost it.

I had lost her.

Everything was over.

I fell onto my knees, ignoring the pieces of glass breaking through my skin.

"Skye?" Holly stood up from the table in alert.

Nothing was worth it anymore. It did not matter how beautiful she was to me, or how much I wanted her.

I might as well have run to prison at that moment. At that time, I would have even welcomed the slow process of vegetation in a claustrophobic jail. My freedom no longer mattered. I would have rotted in the free world as my father had in a cell.

"Whatever you're thinking," Holly addressed me as though she knew my thoughts, "you're wrong."

"How do you know?!" I hissed. Without thought, I found myself slamming my fists on the dining table in front of her. "Your heart belongs to someone else, doesn't it? I cannot steal your feather because it isn't here! That's the only way it can be!"

"You're wrong."

Her calm remark shattered my cries and shouts. At the mercy of her words, I fell silent.

Holly reached into her pants pocket and removed a dark, wooden case. She opened it, and removed the coveted object inside; her blue feather.

"Skye," she said, "you can't steal my blue feather tonight."

As she spoke, she placed the precious gift in my pale hands and closed her own hands around mine.

"You can't steal my blue feather, because I'm giving it to you."


	13. The Epilogue

**As this is the Epilogue to my first ever fanfiction, I would like to take a bit of space to type about my reflections on this whole experience. **

**A Warning: Be sure to read the chapter before this, "The Feather", before this. :3 Thanks.**

**If you don't care in the slightest about my person thoughts, please skip my ramblings and proceed to the actual substance.**

**Anyways, looking back, I watched my writing actually develop a bit while I was writing this. Before this story, I think the last piece of fiction I wrote was back in elementary school, so it was nice for me to see the adjustment period from "ZOMGICAN'TWRITEASTORY!!1!one!" to "Oh, I write a chapter every few days or so." My spelling, grammar, style, diction, it all kind of evolved throughout this process, and I'm really glad to have done it.**

**The massive, unacceptably large delay between The Future and The Feather would be largely due to the fact that I had no idea how exactly to end the story. Yes, I knew that Holly was supposed to give Skye the feather, but I had no idea how I was going to get to that point and give the chapter some substance and entertainment value at the same time. I wanted closure not only for Holly and Skye, but also for some of the other people in the Valley. IE, Muffy and Griffin getting the bar back up, Celia and Marlin returning, etc. Even now, I don't think I did the best job on it as I could have, but at the same time, I simply could not put the chapter off any longer. XP**

**For anyone who has reviewed my story, I owe you a large basket of cookies. Or chocolates. Or anything you want, because you guys are freakin' amazing. XDD**

**In conclusion, writing this story has been a ton of fun, and I hope to write more fics in the future (With different characters. I hope to put Skye to rest for a bit). :D**

**With that said, please enjoy the brief epilogue of my little tale. For those who have stuck with me and read it all the way through, thank you so much. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.**

**--**

The stars shone brilliantly in the sky that night.

My pale hands gripped the thin grass below me tightly as I admired the beauty the valley held in the shining night.

I blew my silver hair out of my face casually; even though I had gotten a good amount of it cut, it still managed to fall into my face. Beneath the stray hairs, my face carried a large, genuine smile.

I had never been so happy.

Actually, I guess I should say that the Phantom Thief Skye had never been so happy.

I lived in a fine, sturdy house on a ranch. I had many wonderful friends in the Valley who accepted me, as opposed to fearing and detesting me.

Frankly, I fully enjoyed the switch in attitude.

And of course, there was the person that changed my life.

_Dong… dong…dong…dong…_

The person I loved more than air itself.

_Dong…dong…dong…dong…_

I loved her more than thievery and heists.

_Dong…dong…dong…_

I loved her more than anything.

_Dong._

That was it; the clock had struck midnight. It was time for me to get to work.

I stood up and brushed the various grasses off of my new black, button-down shirt and jeans. I liked my new look; it was appropriate for starting a new life.

I inhaled deeply, preparing myself mentally and focusing. Once ready, I strutted over to my target; a decent-sized, renovated wooden house. Removing a set of well-used lock-picks from my familiar black rucksack, I effortlessly opened a low window and silently pulled myself inside the dwelling.

Closing the window behind me, I grinned to myself. Everything was going perfectly.

Stealthily, I padded through the main room over to where a brunette woman slept peacefully. After admiring the slow rise-and-fall of her breathing for a moment, I found what I had looking for; the woman's rucksack.

The woman took the simple bag with her wherever she went, never losing or misplacing it. That bag was almost a part of her, so it was perfect for my plan.

I quietly put my own bag onto the wooden floor and opened it. Carefully, I removed a box of gourmet chocolates from my own bag and slipped it into the woman's.

I beamed; she was going to be so happy when she woke up in the morning.

Standing up once again, I brushed some of the brown wisps of hair out of the woman's face and lightly kissed her forehead.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Holly."

Finished with my little façade, I hid my rucksack and changed into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Then with a yawn, I gracefully slid into bed beside the woman and threw my arms around her.

I buried my face into her neck; her scent began to calm the adrenaline I had built up during my fake break-and-entry.

After all, she was the woman who changed my life.

She was the person I loved more than I had ever loved thievery.

I loved her more than anything.

As I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep, I remembered who I used to be. I remembered how afraid I was of losing my precious freedom. For so many years, I barely slept at all.

For two wonderful years, however, I have slept sweetly and deeply every night.

In my final moments of consciousness, I pondered what the Phantom Thief Skye would think of being married and living on a small ranch.

I knew he would thought it would be like prison. Being chained to a person with no escape, the thought of it would have turned him off entirely.

As I tightened my arms around Holly, however, I knew that the Phantom Thief was wrong.

I did not sacrifice my freedom to be with Holly.

She finally set me free.


End file.
